Gospel artiste and suicide prevention advocate, Samuel Akinyemi a.k.a Psalm Ebube has lamented the alarming suicide rate among youths and adults in the country.
Akinyemi who was honoured as African Civility Educator of the year 2021 by I Change Nations (ICN) USA, called for a national suicide prevention strategy which would work towards the ultimate goal of suicide reduction. He said the absence of said strategy in Nigeria is not only stalling the management and control efforts of suicide, but fuelling stigmatisation and discrimination of survivors as well as their relatives.
He went on to add that creating an enabling environment for suicide prevention through legislation requires an urgent overhaul of the criminal legal system that will decriminalise suicide and attempted suicide, passage of the mental health bill to promote mental well being and ensure access to treatment.