The rising incidence of suicides among young Nigerians is taking a frightening dimension and this calls for great concern and intervention from all relevant stakeholders (families, religious institutions and government).
In the past, suicide was seen as alien to Africans but it is no longer the case today as recent stories in the media have shown that we are faced with a real social problem in our hands.
Studies have shown that young people are battling emotional stress at an alarming rate compared to what was obtainable in the past generations, no thanks to rapidly changing cultural, social and technological dynamics of the modern society.
Poor body image, low self esteem and peer pressure are real issues with young people and when not well managed it can lead them into depression and suicidal thoughts.
Besides, the decline in traditional and family values that once served as a pacifier or some safe haven for older generations is yet another major factor that can be blamed for the rise in suicide cases.
The family as the nucleus of the society is increasingly breaking down and becoming dysfunctional.
Today, a number of Nigerian families are losing cohesion, parents are exerting undue pressure on their children on many fronts (academic, social, religious, career, marriage, etc) thereby causing untold emotional and psychological distress to these young and promising minds.
In my interactions with a number of primary and secondary school children at my training programmes, one common trend I observe is that many parents are the first to CRITICISE and the last to UNDERSTAND their children's individuality - temperaments, abilities, skills, dreams, potential, fears and struggles, and this creates a real or potential tension in the parent-child relationship and it accounts for the significant increase in rebellion and antisocial activities of many young people.
It's high time parents considered very seriously their parenting styles and skills in the 21st century so as to spare their children a lot of emotional baggage over the course of their growth and development.
On the religious side, the pursuit of materialism by the modern church is taking a toll on young people as they are forced to have the false impression that their worth is defined by their material possessions rather than by their competence and character.
It is no longer strange to see church folks go into depression quietly and they won't open up lest they're seen as weak and without faith.
When they attend weekly church services, they seem to have some momentary respite, forgetting their struggles but once they get out of the church door they are struck with the reality of their true state.
On the government side, the young people are losing faith in the ability of the Nigerian government at all their arms and tiers of government to provide an enabling environment for them to pursue their passion and dreams. All that they see is a political class that is destroying the futures of their young people on the altar of selfish political gains.
Suicide is a grave evil that doesn't take away the pain but rather it gives it to someone else.
- Suicide takes a toll on the dead and the living, so all hands must be on deck to stop it in its tracks before it becomes an epidemic to Nigerians.
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