PEACE of mind has become a luxury in Nigeria. The psychological cost of insecurity and economic hardship rarely makes the headlines, and it almost never makes policy.
Kidnapping has turned ordinary movement into a gamble. People are abducted on highways, in schools, in their communities and increasingly, in their own homes.
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Families drain their savings to raise ransom, while those whose loved ones remain in captivity live in an agony that has no timetable. Even when a victim returns, the trauma often stays behind with them.
At night, the fear follows people indoors. In communities hit by night-time robberies, a locked door no longer feels like protection. Families lie awake wondering whether armed men will come before morning.
A knock, a footstep or a strange noise outside is enough to set the heart racing. Many people sleep lightly because they believe they must stay alert to protect those they love.
The rise of “one-chance” robberies, in which unsuspecting passengers enter into vehicles and robbed or assaulted, has turned the daily commute into an exercise in suspicion. Which vehicle is safe? Who can be trusted? Will I arrive?
The high price of petrol has pushed many car owners to keep their vehicles for emergencies and special occasions. The car that once gave them a measure of security now sits idle, and they are back on public transport, weighing the cost of driving against the danger of the bus. Citizens are trapped between insecurity and economic hardship.
Young graduates spend years searching for work and collect rejection after rejection. Their shortage is not of ambition or ability but of opportunity. Prolonged joblessness erodes self-worth and can feed anxiety, depression and substance abuse, especially where no financial or emotional support exists.
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Even those with jobs are not spared. Salaries arrive and are consumed almost at once by food, rent, transport, healthcare and school fees. For many professionals, leaving the country has begun to look less like ambition than escape.
In some parts of the country, hours disappear into traffic. People leave home before dawn and return long after dark, and the time meant for rest, study and family is lost on congested roads, amid noise, crowding and fumes.
This results to a population that is anxious, irritable, withdrawn and short of sleep. However not everyone exposed to hardship will develop a mental illness, but prolonged stress raises the risk, particularly in Nigeria where help is largely out of reach as the country has too few trained professionals.
Government must accept that security, economic policy and mental health are bound together. Security agencies must sharpen their intelligence, investigate crimes credibly and respond quickly to emergencies, so that communities see protection and not just promises.
One-chance syndicates should be dismantled through better surveillance, passenger safety measures and reporting channels that people can trust and use.
Economic policy must create real jobs, back small businesses and help workers cover the basic costs of living. Schools and workplaces need counselling and referral systems. Public campaigns must also say plainly that seeking help is an act of responsibility, not a sign of weakness.
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No nation develops while its people live in constant fear. Protecting mental health begins with making life safer, more affordable and more secure. Nigerians deserve homes where they can sleep, roads they can travel without dread and an economy that gives them reason to hope.
Mental health in Nigeria is not merely a private burden; it is a national responsibility that demands urgent collective action.
- West is a seasoned journalist and development practitioner with over a decade of experience in media, human rights advocacy, and NGO leadership. Her syndicated column, The Wednesday Lens, is published every Wednesday in News Point Nigeria newspaper. She can be reached at bomawest111@gmail.com.
