Participants at a mental health summit organized by Vanguard Media Ltd. have recommended new strategies for promoting mental health and preventing suicide in Nigeria.
The summit, held on Friday in Lagos, had the theme: “Taming the Rising Tide of Suicide in Nigeria” and the sub-theme: “Substance and Silence: Unmasking the Dual Crisis of Addiction and Suicide.”
Speaking at the event, the Senator representing Cross River South Senatorial District, Asuquo Ekpenyong, lamented that thousands of Nigerians continue to die by suicide, with an estimated 16,000 deaths recorded annually.
Ekpenyong, who was the special guest of honor, described the figure as “a staggering and heartbreaking reality,” emphasizing the urgent need for suicide prevention efforts.
“These are not just numbers, but lives that could be saved with compassion, care, and timely action,” he said.
He explained that this conviction inspired him to sponsor the Suicide Prevention Bill 2024, a legislation seeking to decriminalize attempted suicide and ensure the rehabilitation and reintegration of survivors. The bill also provides for mental health and psychosocial support for relatives of those who died by suicide or survived an attempt.
Ekpenyong stressed that suicide prevention could not be achieved without addressing the co-existing crisis of substance addiction, adding that many young Nigerians were “trapped between despair and dependence.”
“Our response must be both compassionate and comprehensive,” he added.
In his keynote address, the Continental Representative for Lifeline International, Prof. Taiwo Sheikh, urged the Federal Government to implement the suicide decriminalization agenda to advance prevention and support efforts nationwide.
Sheikh said the continued criminalization of attempted suicide remained a major barrier to effective suicide prevention and control.
He faulted attempts to merge the proposed Suicide Prevention Bill with the National Mental Health Act, describing the move as misplaced.
“That law is meant for people diagnosed with mental illness. If you subsume suicide prevention under it, individuals without a diagnosis will not be protected,” he explained.
“We need a standalone, comprehensive Suicide Prevention Law that addresses all aspects of suicide, including care for families of victims and survivors, as well as the decriminalization of attempts.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, said plans were underway to conduct a new National Drug Survey and develop a National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) 2026–2030.
Represented by the agency’s Director of Media, Femi Babafemi, Marwa said NDLEA had significantly invested in intelligence gathering, not only to track trafficking networks but also to provide early warning systems for substance use and related mental health issues.
He noted that Nigeria’s approach to drug control needed reform, adding that “arrests without treatment and incarceration without rehabilitation” would only perpetuate the cycle.
“As the next phase of our reform, NDLEA will establish community liaison offices in every local government area,” he said. “These offices will partner with local structures to strengthen community resilience against illicit substance abuse.”
In her remarks, the Training Coordinator of the Suicide Research and Prevention Initiative (SURPIN), Ms. Titilayo Tade, identified stress and depression as key triggers of suicide if left unmanaged.
Tade, who spoke on the topic “How Are You?”, urged Nigerians to cultivate the habit of checking on one another and seeking help when faced with life’s challenges.
“The first line of managing stress or depression is counselling and therapy, which can come from family members, friends, religious leaders, or medical professionals,” she said.
Tade advised Nigerians not to wait until they were overwhelmed before seeking help.
“We are facing a lot as a nation—rising costs, business failures, and lack of basic amenities. But bottling up frustrations is not the answer. Even considering suicide should never be an option,” she said.
She encouraged Nigerians to “speak out, share worries, and reach out through the SURPIN helplines for support at any time.”
