A disturbing wave of suicide cases among young Nigerians is raising red flags across the nation, as more teenagers find themselves overwhelmed by failure, societal expectations, and emotional distress. The recent suicide of 19-year-old Timilehin Opesusi after scoring 190 out of 400 in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) has once again exposed the harsh mental toll of academic disappointment, and the broader systemic failures that offer little support to struggling youths.

This growing tragedy calls for urgent reforms and renewed focus on mental health education, emotional resilience, and the development of coping mechanisms for Nigeria’s young population, who now face immense psychological burdens in an era of widespread socio-economic instability.

Alarming Global and National Trends

Globally, suicide has become one of the leading causes of death among young people. According to the World Health Organization’s 2025 report, suicide ranks as the third most common cause of death among individuals aged 15 to 29, with over 720,000 people taking their own lives annually.

In Nigeria, the problem is particularly acute due to a dangerous mix of academic stress, economic hardship, parental pressure, and a glaring lack of emotional support. Timilehin’s case is not isolated. Her death closely echoes that of 18-year-old Loveth in 2018, who reportedly drank insecticide after scoring 160 in the UTME, leaving behind a heartbreaking note: “My father will kill me.”

These incidents paint a grim picture of the psychological state of many young Nigerians, who find themselves boxed into an education system that demands perfection but offers little consolation for failure.

Academic Pressure and a Broken System

Timilehin’s suicide follows a decade-long pattern of mass disappointment in the UTME. In 2025 alone, 75 percent of candidates scored below 200, a persistent trend over the last ten years. Out of 1.95 million candidates, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) flagged errors in 379,997 results, forcing a rescheduling of exams in several centres across Lagos and the South-East.

These flaws further compound students’ anxiety, particularly when many of them have pinned their entire future on these scores. For some, especially those lacking emotional support or financial alternatives, failure in the UTME becomes a perceived end of the road.

This test-centric academic culture creates high-stakes scenarios where many students equate their self-worth with exam results, without receiving adequate preparation for setbacks or life outside academic success.

Harsh Realities Beyond the Classroom

Outside the classroom, the broader economic environment offers little solace. Nigerian youths — who make up over 60 percent of the population — contend with rampant unemployment, widespread poverty, and a crumbling infrastructure, including a failing power sector. Many students navigate these challenges while also dealing with hunger and the daily stress of survival, all while striving for academic excellence in a system that often seems rigged against them.

This pressure cooker scenario frequently drives young people into despair, especially in the absence of coping frameworks, mental health awareness, or support systems within their families and schools.

The Role of Parents and Guardians

Parents, often unknowingly, contribute to the emotional turmoil of their children. Instead of guiding and nurturing them, many parents impose unrealistic expectations, delivering harsh punishments or threats when children fail to meet academic targets. This parenting style not only damages the child’s self-esteem but also fosters chronic anxiety and fear.

The tragic note left by Loveth encapsulates this fear-driven pressure that many Nigerian children endure. Rather than motivating them, it cultivates a toxic environment where failure becomes synonymous with shame and punishment, making suicide a seemingly logical escape.

Experts urge parents to redefine their roles, becoming sources of encouragement and understanding. Nurturing a child’s self-worth and resilience is far more important than enforcing perfection.

Absence of Emotional Support in Schools

Policy mandates that every secondary school in Nigeria should have a guidance counsellor, but in reality, most schools lack such professionals. This institutional gap leaves students without emotional or psychological support during critical moments in their development.

Where guidance counsellors do exist, they often focus solely on academics or disciplinary issues rather than holistic student wellbeing. There is an urgent need for these roles to be expanded, professionalized, and fully integrated into the educational framework. Students must be taught to prepare for setbacks, not just success, and to understand that life includes both failure and recovery.

Social Media, Misinformation, and Unrealistic Standards

Another significant factor contributing to mental distress is the influence of social media, which constantly bombards young people with idealized versions of success. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter project images of perfection — instant wealth, luxury lifestyles, flawless achievements — without showing the hard work or failures behind the scenes.

This digital distortion creates an unrealistic mindset, where any form of failure becomes unbearable. Youths start believing that falling short of societal standards is a personal catastrophe. Left without guidance, they internalize failure as final and insurmountable.

Redefining Failure: Learning from Legends

A critical cultural shift must occur: failure should no longer be feared but embraced as part of growth. This mindset is echoed by legendary figures who transformed their setbacks into stepping stones.

Basketball icon Michael Jordan, often cited as the greatest player of all time, once shared:
“I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost over 300 games. 26 times, I have been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I have failed over and over again. That is why I succeed.”

Similarly, renowned inventor Thomas Edison, holder of over 1,000 patents, famously said:
“I have not failed 10,000 times—I’ve successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.”

Their words serve as vital lessons for Nigerian youths: failure is not a dead-end, but a necessary step toward mastery and success.

A National Responsibility: From Families to Policy Makers

Solving the youth suicide crisis requires collective action. Parents, educators, religious leaders, civil society, and government agencies must collaborate to create a supportive ecosystem. This includes:

• Integrating mental health education into school curriculums

• Employing trained guidance counsellors in all secondary schools

• Running nationwide awareness campaigns on failure, depression, and emotional resilience

• Training parents and teachers to offer emotional support and realistic expectations

• Expanding youth helplines and emergency mental health services

Furthermore, government must tackle underlying socio-economic issues, particularly youth unemployment and hunger, which intensify feelings of hopelessness.

Conclusion: Building Resilience, Saving Lives

The heartbreaking suicide of Timilehin Opesusi should serve as a wake-up call. Nigeria must urgently prioritize the mental health and emotional education of its young people. Academic scores should never be a death sentence, nor should children be made to feel that one failure defines their worth.

By teaching youths that resilience is just as important as academic excellence, the nation can equip the next generation with the tools to overcome adversity — not surrender to it. With targeted interventions, supportive families, and reformed institutions, Nigeria can turn this rising tide of youth suicides around and build a more compassionate, prepared, and mentally strong future for its young citizens.