Across Nigeria today, conversations around mental health are growing louder and more urgent. Once dismissed as a “Western problem,” mental illness is now recognised as a silent crisis affecting millions of Nigerians. From social media anxiety to workplace burnout and economic stress, modern life is reshaping our emotional landscape in ways that demand national attention.
In today’s digital Nigeria, social media serves as both megaphone and mirror. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) connect people, inspire movements and amplify awareness campaigns such as those led by the Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative (MANI). Their work has helped reduce stigma and reach thousands seeking support online.
Yet the same platforms that connect us can also corrode our self-esteem. Studies show that excessive social media use is linked to anxiety, depression and social isolation among young Nigerians (Awopetu et al., 2022). A participant at a mental health event in Abuja summed it up simply:
“Seeing things on social media that we can’t attain makes some of us depressed. People fake a lifestyle we wish we could have, and that pressure breaks us.”
According to Inquirer Nigeria (2025), “Social media has intensified Nigeria’s hustle culture, engendering persistent pressure to achieve and display accomplishments.” In a country where success is often equated with visibility, likes and followers have quietly become new measures of self-worth.
Few cultures celebrate hard work like Nigeria’s. The popular mantra “No food for a lazy man” reflects a deeply ingrained ethos of resilience. Yet beneath this spirit lies a growing epidemic of exhaustion.
Long commutes, multiple jobs and endless side hustles have blurred the line between ambition and burnout. Many workers, fearing job loss or failure, treat rest as weakness. But fatigue has consequences: a 2023 meta-analysis in PLOS One found that over 61% of Nigerian healthcare workers experience psychosocial stress, with work overload as the primary cause. If those trained to care for others are buckling under pressure, what of the rest of the workforce?
Mental health advocates now warn that the nation’s obsession with productivity is costing its people peace of mind. “It is essential to normalise taking pauses and resting without guilt,” wrote Inquirer Nigeria earlier this year. But the stigma around slowing down persists, especially in corporate and informal sectors where “hustle or die” remains the rule.
Even for those managing their social and professional pressures, the state of the economy adds another layer of distress. Inflation, job insecurity and a fluctuating naira have turned daily life into a psychological marathon.
A 2021 study published in BMC Public Health found that Nigerians cited financial hardship, loneliness and fear of unemployment as key drivers of mental distress during the pandemic — and these factors remain just as relevant today.
Many Nigerians feel trapped in an exhausting loop: working harder but earning less, striving more but achieving less. As one young graduate lamented online, “It’s draining. I keep applying for jobs, but the dark thoughts are starting to creep back in.”
This emotional fatigue doesn’t just affect individuals; it shapes national productivity and social cohesion. When citizens are constantly worried about survival, creativity and hope decline.
What Can We Change?
Addressing Nigeria’s mental health crisis requires coordinated, multi-level action:
1. Digital Discipline – Schools and youth programmes should teach healthy social media habits, emphasising self-awareness, screen-time control and real-world relationships.
2. Workplace Reform – Employers must prioritise well-being by introducing mental health days, counselling access and flexible schedules to prevent burnout.
3. Accessible Mental Health Services – Nigeria reportedly has fewer than 300 practising psychiatrists for over 200 million people. Expanding community-based care and supporting NGOs such as MANI are urgent steps.
4. Economic Safety Nets – Financial stability reduces emotional strain. Policymakers should link mental health with labour, education and social protection policies.
5. Cultural De-Stigmatisation – Faith leaders, educators and the media must continue to normalise conversations around therapy, depression and anxiety.
However, mental health is not a luxury; it is a foundation for national progress. From Lagos to Jos, Iseyin to Port Harcourt, Benin to Maiduguri, Nigerians are silently battling pressures that money alone cannot solve.
If the nation hopes to thrive, it must redefine success — not as endless hustling, but as balanced living. Social media should inspire, not intimidate. Work should empower, not exhaust. And economic growth should bring peace, not pressure.
The mind is Nigeria’s greatest resource. It’s time to protect it.
