By Fiscalposts
The rising wave of suicides among young Nigerians has become a national emergency that demands urgent attention, compassion, and decisive action. Increasingly, reports of teenagers and young adults taking their own lives paint a grim picture of despair among a generation we count on to secure our future.
Recently, a 200-level medical student of Obafemi Awolowo University reportedly ended his life after failing exams twice in succession. Not long before, a 200-level student of Babcock University also committed suicide at his parents’ home within the Redeemed Christian Church of God premises in Ogun State. More recently, a 400-level Computer Science student of the same university took his own life after hearing of a two-year suspension for exam malpractice—a punishment that crushed his hopes of graduating this July.
These tragic stories are more than isolated cases; they highlight a pattern of pain and disillusionment. They force us to confront difficult questions: Have parents, schools, and leaders failed to provide the support young people desperately need? Are our institutions unintentionally pushing students to the brink by prioritizing punishment over empathy? Are societal pressures and parental expectations leaving children feeling trapped and voiceless?
The painful reality is that punitive measures alone do not work. Government, schools, parents, and civil society must accept shared responsibility for reversing this trend. Leaders must enact policies that prioritize student mental health, dismantle systemic double standards, and ensure fairness. Institutions should not treat struggling students with harshness while showing leniency to the privileged. True leadership requires empathy at every level.
Parents also have a central role. Too often, children are burdened with the weight of unrealistic expectations or left without emotional support. Beyond investing in education, parents must become their children’s safe space—listening without judgment, offering comfort in times of failure, and detecting early signs of despair. The best friend of a child should be their parent, not pressure or competition.
For schools, the first duty is to create a nurturing “home away from home.” Administrators must lead with empathy, combining discipline with counselling and adopting systems that emphasize rehabilitation, not retribution. A supportive and caring environment strengthens both academic performance and mental well-being, while harsh, one-size-fits-all punishments risk devastating consequences.
The tragedy of losing bright, promising young people cannot be allowed to continue. Suicide is not just a personal loss—it is a societal failure. It is time for government, schools, parents, and civil society to unite in building an environment of fairness, empathy, and hope. Our children’s lives are worth more than grades or punishment; they deserve a society that listens, understands, and protects them before despair turns irreversible.