The Federal Government of Nigeria issued a warning on Thursday, September 19, regarding the rising suicide rate, which it said was 12.9 percent.
The government acknowledged that this number was alarming but also revealed that suicide cases in Nigeria were not properly documented.
Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, brought up the issue on Thursday during a ceremony commemorating World Suicide Prevention Day of 2024.
“Today, we are gathered to address the issue of suicide, which is a critical issue that affects us,” stated the Minister, who was represented by Daju Kachollom, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, at the event with the theme “Changing the Narrative on Suicide.” The voluntary taking of one’s own life is known as suicide.
According to the data that was available, men were twice as likely as women to take their own lives, with a global suicide rate of 9.0 percent per 1,000 deaths. Over 700,000 individuals die by suicide each year, making up about one in every 100 fatalities.
“The available statistics on the suicide rate in Nigeria is 12.9 percent per 100,000 deaths, while the rate in Africa is 11.2 percent, 100,000 deaths higher than the global average of 9.0 percent per 100,000 deaths.
Suicide is the fourth most common cause of death for young people in Africa, accounting for 40% of all suicide deaths, and its rates are highest among those between the ages of 15 and 29. I have to admit, though, that these figures might not accurately represent the suicide rate in Africa because stigma and underreporting of mental health problems continue to be major obstacles to correct reporting.
He claimed that there is proof linking mental health issues, specifically depression and alcoholism, to suicide, and that many suicides occur spontaneously during times of crisis when a person’s capacity to cope with life’s challenges—financial difficulties, relationship breakups, chronic pain and illness, among other things—breaks down.
With the theme “Changing the Narrative on Suicide” and the call to action “start the conversation,” we are joining the rest of the globe in commemorating today’s International Day to Prevent Suicide. The purpose of this is to increase awareness of the significance of lowering stigma and promoting candid discussions in order to stop suicides.
“Changing the narrative requires us to move away from the tragedy of suicide and toward the possibility of prevention; we also need to move from taboos, stigma, and discrimination toward empathy and constructive cultural change; and we need to move from ostracism and punishment toward offering assistance and support. Additionally, sensitive reporting that is governed by appropriate ethical norms must replace sensational reporting.
We can remove the obstacles that keep people from asking for help by altering the way we discuss suicide. We can establish a culture that upholds the dignity of life, values and supports each individual, and responds to mental health issues with compassion rather than condemnation.
“This suicide figure is not just a number; it represents lives lost, dreams unfulfilled, and potentials unrealized,” stated Dr. Chukwuma Anyaike, Director of Public Health at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in his remarks.
“Every life is valuable, and each suicide death serves as a heartbreaking reminder of our shared responsibility to act more, to reach out, and to alter the perception of this avoidable tragedy. The theme for this year is “Changing the Narrative on Suicide,” which challenges us to reconsider how we handle the suicide problem.
It pushes us to get over the prejudice, stigma, and misconceptions that have long surrounded this subject. It is a call to action to promote candid dialogue, establish encouraging surroundings, and make sure that nobody feels isolated or without hope.”
The call to action, according to Dr. Walter Kazadi, the country representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), who was accompanied by Dr. Mary Brantuo, invites everyone to start a discourse about suicide and its prevention. “Every discussion, no matter how tiny, fosters empathy and understanding in society. By starting these important discussions, we may lower obstacles, increase awareness, and improve supportive cultures.
According to him, the government should take action because this year’s topic highlights the importance of giving mental health and suicide prevention top priority when formulating policies. “Advocating for policies that prioritize mental health, expand access to care, and offer assistance to people in need is necessary to changing the narrative.
“Who” Nigeria is happy to have the new Mental Health Act, Mental Health Policy, and National Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan implementation framework.
“We commit to keep helping the nation carry out high-priority mental health initiatives, such as suicide prevention and control and the integration of mental health into important strategic documents. Together, we can stop suicide in Nigeria by increasing awareness, lowering stigma, and promoting candid discussions.
The National Suicide Prevention Strategic Framework, according to Jibrin Kama, Associate Director, Access Programme, Clinton Health Access Initiative Nigeria, CHAI, is also evidence of the Ministry’s vision, leadership, and dedication to a future in which no one dies by suicide and everyone is given the respect and care they need.
“For more than a decade, CHAI has been an essential intellectual collaborator to the Nigerian government. We reiterate today our dedication to helping programs be implemented in accordance with the strategic direction of the country. Let’s make a commitment to combating suicide. He stated, “Prevention is achievable and we can assure prompt interventions, lessen the stigma associated with mental health and suicide, and save countless lives with the correct tactics, support networks, and resources.
Nigerians, on the other hand, have berated the government for being largely responsible for the growing problem and then shedding crocodile tears.
Leading the charge in this vein of thinking is attorney Maxi Okwu, who said that people are becoming more distressed due to financial difficulty, which is the reason suicide rates are rising.
He chastised the Federal Government of Nigeria for lamenting the suicide rate, despite the fact that it is aware of the precise measures to halt the downward trend.
“How can a government that is tasked with safeguarding the welfare and security of Nigerian citizens, as stipulated in Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution, claim to be alarmed?
What should we do if the Federal Government becomes concerned? Shall we flee? Is the government stating that we should hide if the Federal Government is alarmed?
“The government of Nigeria is accountable for the security and well-being of its citizens. Both welfare and security are areas in which they have failed. That is the actuality.
How then might people avoid taking their own lives? The expense of life has skyrocketed right now, and I have no idea how people manage. Under Idi Amin, the Naira has essentially equaled, if not worsened, the value of Ugandan currency.
It will become clear to you why individuals keep killing themselves if you comprehend what the average man on the street goes through.
Thus, he continued, “in my opinion, the government should be in charge of fostering an atmosphere that allows people to prosper and be happy, and it is not doing so.”
He held Nigerians accountable for their decision-making during the general election of 2023, claiming that the consequences of that decision were what the country was going through.
We’re sick of complaining that the government hasn’t upheld its constitutional obligations because, once more, the people had a chance to cast ballots and establish a people’s government, but they chose not to do so.
Thus, the APC government has been a complete failure from the time of former President Muhammadu Buhari onward.
Nothing changed with the change of guard. Under Buhari, the APC was a complete failure since they all but killed Nigeria.
“The APC would never have been reelected in a true democracy, but here we are with another APC administration.
“The government should address the underlying cause of suicide rather than raising unnecessary alarms,” he said. “So, the government knows why people are committing suicide.”
Additionally, rather than raising alarms, Dr. Pogu Bitrus, president of the Middle Belt Forum (MBF), counseled the government to examine its own economic policies, which he claimed were primarily to blame for the nation’s suffering.
He stated: “People don’t just commit suicide like that, so the federal government should look inward.” Suicide is the result of someone deciding that life is not worth living.
“So, the government’s economic policies have driven people to the breaking point, causing hardship everywhere and preventing some from even being able to eat.
“Due to the soaring expense of transportation, people are unable to even get about. The devaluation of the Naira has made it impossible to obtain anything, even with hard effort. Even getting food once a day has become an enormous undertaking.
In light of this, the people are under a great deal of pressure. There are no jobs anywhere, and the ones that are available are always taken by the highest bidder because corruption has made everything monetized.
“In Nigeria today, having a first class, second class, or any other degree does not guarantee one a job; there is no merit anymore.
And when your parents are not well off, even covering the cost of your education becomes a major challenge.
“All of these have put a great deal of pressure on our young people, and those who can’t handle it—especially those who don’t believe that suicide is a sin—look for an easy way out, and that easy way is to end their lives in the hopes that their problems will go away.”
He said it was regrettable that the government was making such a claim.
He counseled the administration to reconsider the policies that were making life so wretched and challenging for Nigerians that a large number of young people were ending their lives.
“I want the government to take that action. In other words, the Naira has lost value and the subsidy has been removed.
“The Naira was already undervalued to roughly N740 when this government took office. When Buhari succeeded Goodluck Jonathan, one dollar was only worth N198 or so; it wasn’t even close to N200. Buhari screwed it up, bringing the price per dollar to N740.
“Now that President Tinubu has further depreciated it by more over 100%, one dollar is now worth N1650. As a result, in addition to banditry and insecurity everywhere, the devaluation and the cost of energy have an impact on food prices.
“Everyone who has been badly influenced has had to deal with it, and those who are unable to handle it have turned to suicide. Therefore, the government should examine itself and fix the problems rather than sounding the alarm.
“If individuals have stolen our money in the past, the government ought to bring them back and allow us to rebuild the economy. That way, when things get better, even in the absence of jobs, people will be able to obtain valuable money, making living conditions bearable and reducing the likelihood of suicide attempts.
“By doing this, we will ensure that Nigeria remains a dynamic country by producing young, energetic people to replace those of us who are getting older. Thus, the government ought to quit creating a fuss over something it can control better than anything else. It ought to take the appropriate action rather than sounding needless alarms, he continued.
