Across Nigeria, a chorus of frustration echoes as rising inflation pummels not just pockets but also mental well-being. The escalating cost of necessities like food, housing and healthcare is fueling protests, anxiety, stress and even depression, painting a grim picture of daily life for many.

President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN), Prof. Taiwo Obindo expressed concerns over the increasing number of people living below the poverty line and mental health.

In an interview with The Guardian, Obindo lamented that people are developing mental health conditions due to the pressure and the stresses that they are facing adding that many have lost their jobs, their businesses, while some are unable to pay their children’s school fees or access even healthcare and all these can trigger mental health conditions.

He said, ‘Everybody operates under a particular degree of mental health. Finance, unemployment, insecurity, and underemployment all impact people’s mental health. If you need to meet a particular need and you are not able to do so, it also impacts on your life and your mental health so those things will cause distress and the distress they cause could impact on people’s mental health, with the distress, people may now start showing one or two symptoms of mental health conditions if not addressed.

According to him, “Poverty and mental health have a bi-directional relationship. Poverty leads to people developing mental health conditions, not being able to take care of their mental health condition, and also impacting how they respond to the treatment that they are being given.

According to him, “Those who are even receiving treatment for mental health conditions are also impacted because they can no longer afford their drugs. So many are no longer able to transport themselves to the hospital as the cost of transportation has increased and quite a few of them are not able to come again. Not only are they not able to transport themselves there, but they are also not able to afford the drugs because the cost of drugs has gone up and that has increased the incidence. So that has increased the prevalence of mental health conditions.

Obindo urged the government to take immediate action to address the impending mental health crisis and called for increased budgetary allocation for health, implementation of the 2023 Mental Health Act, and targeted support for vulnerable groups like pregnant women, children, the elderly, and homeless individuals.

He stressed the need to improve funding for mental health facilities beyond the Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospitals and integrate mental health services into primary care for wider accessibility.

Commenting on the recent suicide attempts in Nigeria, a consultant psychiatrist, and former Chief Medical Director, of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr. Femi Olugbile highlighted the complex nature of suicide, he said: “Suicide is one of the extreme manifestations of psychiatric illness, we can expect it somewhat rate but not all suicides that is due to economic circumstances. Some people have some illnesses, the deliberate self-harm could be cause be caused by that thing they are already suffering from, they are different things that lead to suicide but generally there must be some effect on the mind that eventually leads to that desperate decision to harm oneself.

“Every effort should be made to ease the living conditions of people. Suicide is not limited to Nigeria, it happens all over the world, no society in the world is so harmonious that there is no suicide, suicide is a worldwide manifestation of a disturbed mind.

He emphasised the need for an adequate number of facilities and trained personnel to assist those in crisis, urging an improvement in services and increased accessibility to counselling for individuals in moments of desperation.

Statista, a global data and business intelligence platform reports that a staggering 12% of Nigerians grapple with the excruciating reality of extreme poverty, surviving on a mere N1,716.65 – barely $1.90 – a day. This chilling figure, freshly minted by a recent study, paints a grim picture of Nigeria’s wrestling situation with hunger, desperation, and a seemingly endless struggle for necessities.

It read: “In 2023, nearly 12 percent of the world population in extreme poverty lived in Nigeria, considering the poverty threshold at $1.90 a day. Within the studied timeframe, the share mainly rose. Overall, the number of people living in extreme poverty in Africa was estimated to reach 422 million in 2025.”

Speaking with The Guardian, a resident of Osun state, Joke Jenfa shared her struggle with sleeplessness and sadness due to the economic situation. She expressed frustration at the lack of improvement despite promises of a better future.

She said, “It has taken away my sleep, my peace of mind, my happiness. I even think I am getting depressed. I thought they said money can’t buy happiness. So why the constant sadness, the sudden mood swings? The economic struggle is making me feel like I’m not trying enough. It’s making me emotional. I don’t want to think about it again. Nigeria will be better; Nigeria will be better is all we hear from the moment we were born till now, yet it is still not better. When will it end?”

A staff in a private company, Eyitayo Elegbede who resides in Lagos had a more extreme experience, revealing that she has been going through a hard time for the past two weeks due to financial hardship. She said, “It is tightening and choking; the last two weeks has gotten harder on me.”

Ismail Obadimu who lives in Ogun state described the constant struggle to make ends meet, comparing every trip to the grocery store to a financial battle. He hammered on the importance of finding additional income streams while also acknowledging the need to prioritise mental health. He said: “Inflation’s hitting hard. Sleep is a struggle with money on my mind.

Michael Ogunmefun who works as a teacher in Osun State spoke about the need for careful budgeting and scaling back on wants due to the economic climate. He also revealed how the situation has impacted his sleep and led him to explore unhealthy money-making ventures.

He said: “The current economic situation of the country has really resharpened everything about my life. The situation of the country has adverse effects on my mental health in the sense that most times, sleeping in the middle of the night usually seems difficult because I’m so preoccupied thinking about how my state of living needs to improve.”