End the Rise of Youth Suicide in Lagos, Nigeria

Challenge

In Lagos, rising youth suicide stems from unemployment, poverty, workplace abuse, bullying, stigma, and rejection, worsened by unaffordable mental healthcare access due to high cost and fear of judgment. Without support, despair escalates into preventable deaths. Many lack skills to detect warning signs, while stigma silences those struggling. Isolated youth face no safe spaces to heal or seek help. Deaths from hanging, rat poison ("Sniper"), and drowning in Lagos waterways claim lives daily.

Solution

This project responds to Lagos' suicide crisis by providing free counseling and a 24/7 helpline to offer immediate mental healthcare for youth in crisis. Suicide prevention workshops teach coping skills to those battling academic stress, bullying, or workplace abuse. We train community leaders, parents, and peers to spot warning signs and connect at-risk individuals to safe spaces for stigma-free support. Social media campaigns reduce stigma and encourage vulnerable youth to seek help.

Long-Term Impact

This project strengthens Lagos' youth to heal and equips communities to prevent future crises. Trained leaders create safety nets, while coping skills from workshops reduce harmful actions. As stigma fades, more youth seek help early, lowering suicide rates. Safe spaces and peer networks break cycles of trauma. Subsequently, communities become more engaged in mental health, with reduced reliance on lethal methods like poison or drowning and Lagos becomes a model for grassroots suicide prevention

Resources

• Woman jumps into Lagos lagoon, dies
• 32-year-old man commits suicide in Lagos
• Lagos telecoms accountant commits suicide
• Female banker commits suicide in Lagos