Silence may promote peace and prevent conflict, but mental health experts say keeping quiet about emotional distress can be dangerous, particularly for young Nigerians navigating economic hardship, social media pressure, gender-based violence and growing insecurity.
For Nigerian girls and women, the pressure is often compounded by expectations to succeed academically, look attractive, secure relationships, become financially independent and build successful families, even as unemployment, inflation and insecurity make everyday life increasingly difficult.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says one in seven adolescents globally lives with a mental health condition, while depression, anxiety and behavioural disorders are among the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents. The organisation also identifies poverty, abuse, violence, peer pressure and other forms of adversity as factors that can increase vulnerability.
In Nigeria, experts say the problem cannot be reduced to depression and anxiety alone. Violence, trauma, exploitation, economic insecurity, unhealthy relationships and digital pressures must also become part of the national mental health conversation.
Social media and the pressure to measure up
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The social media environment has created another layer of psychological pressure. Young women are constantly exposed to images of wealth, beauty, luxury lifestyles and seemingly perfect relationships, often without knowing the reality behind those images.
A psychiatrist at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oluwagbemi Ibrahim, recently warned that excessive social media use can contribute to depression, anxiety, unhealthy comparison, low self-esteem and even suicidal thoughts. Family physician Oluwaseun Iyiola similarly noted that many young people feel pressured to appear perfect and live successful lives because of unrealistic online trends.
Clinical psychologist Dr Ayodeji Ajayi of Yaba Neuropsychiatric Hospital has also identified lifestyle pressures, academic stress and social media influence as major contributors to emotional instability among young people.
Mental health specialist Oluwakemi Oyewole has warned that when external expectations replace personal purpose, the relentless pursuit of grades, income and social status can produce chronic stress, anxiety and depression.
For many young women, this pressure can translate into an unhealthy relationship with appearance, money, relationships and self-worth.
When the pursuit of wealth becomes deadly
Beyond the psychological impact of social media, Nigeria faces a more disturbing challenge: the exploitation and killing of young women in crimes allegedly linked to the pursuit of quick wealth.
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The phenomenon popularly described as “Yahoo Plus” has been associated in research with the fusion of cyber fraud and ritualistic violence. A 2026 study published in the International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice describes Yahoo Plus as a violent evolution of cybercrime involving alleged ritual practices, including human sacrifice and the use of body parts.
Another 2026 study by Gabriel Salifu of Redeemer’s University argues that cyber fraud and ritual killings for wealth can be understood within a wider crisis involving economic exclusion, youth disillusionment and the glorification of material success.
Research published in the African Journal for the Psychological Studies of Social Issues has specifically identified women as targets of ritual killings associated with the “get-rich-fast” syndrome, pointing to social-cultural beliefs and gender inequality as contributing factors.
Several cases have illustrated the danger.
In 2012, postgraduate student Cynthia Osokogu was lured from Abuja to Lagos after meeting two men through social media. She was murdered in a Festac Town hotel. Two men were eventually convicted and sentenced to death. Importantly, although the case generated speculation about ritual killing, the court case established murder, robbery and related offences rather than a confirmed ritual motive.
In Ogun State in 2022, four young men were arrested over the killing of 18-year-old Sofiat Kehinde. One of the suspects told investigators that he had obtained money-making ritual instructions from a Facebook group. Police subsequently said they were searching for the person behind the online material.
In another case, police in Edo State arrested seven suspects over the alleged ritual killing of a 35-year-old woman. Police said investigators uncovered an alleged plan involving a N200 million money ritual and the sourcing of a young woman for body parts.
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These cases demonstrate that the issue extends beyond conventional crime reporting. They raise questions about how society defines success, how young people understand wealth and how vulnerable individuals are targeted through digital platforms and personal relationships.
Experts: Mental health cannot be separated from insecurity
Mental health expert Ridwan Oyenuga, founder of SereniMind, has warned that stigma, economic uncertainty, unemployment, academic pressure and family expectations are forcing many young Africans to deal with emotional distress in silence.
He said young people are often expected to appear emotionally strong even when they are experiencing anxiety, exhaustion or other forms of psychological distress.
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Motunrayo Oyelohunnu has similarly linked women’s mental health challenges to social pressure, trauma, gender-based violence and economic hardship. She warned that women exposed to intimate partner violence and sexual abuse can experience serious psychological consequences without adequate support.
The implication is clear: a young woman cannot be expected to maintain psychological wellbeing while living in an environment where she constantly fears violence, exploitation, financial insecurity or abuse.
Beyond victim-blaming
The conversation around women’s safety must also avoid blaming victims.
Young people should certainly be educated about the risks associated with anonymous online relationships, private meetings with strangers and sharing personal information or locations. But safety education must never be interpreted to mean that a woman who agrees to meet someone has consented to violence, sexual exploitation, trafficking or murder.
The responsibility for crime remains with the perpetrator.
At the same time, the psychological consequences of violence can survive long after the crime itself. Survivors of sexual violence, trafficking, abduction and abuse may experience trauma, anxiety, depression, fear and difficulties rebuilding relationships and trusting others.
Families and friends can also suffer prolonged grief and psychological distress when a loved one is murdered or disappears.
Schools should have functional counselling systems capable of identifying anxiety, depression, trauma, bullying and abusive relationships early. Families should create environments where young people can discuss emotional difficulties without being dismissed as weak, lazy or spiritually deficient.
The Chartered Institute of Counselling in Nigeria has also warned against relying on untrained social media advisers and unqualified individuals for psychological support, stressing that counselling is a professional and evidence-based discipline.
Law enforcement agencies, meanwhile, must strengthen investigations into violence, trafficking, cyber-enabled exploitation and ritual killings. Technology companies also have a responsibility to respond more effectively to online spaces that facilitate exploitation and violent criminal activity.
A young person who suddenly acquires expensive cars, designer clothes or property without a visible source of income should not automatically be treated as a symbol of success. Parents, communities and religious institutions must be willing to ask difficult questions about how wealth is acquired.
That cultural shift is particularly important because recent research suggests that the appeal of Yahoo Plus cannot be explained by poverty alone. The glorification of wealth, moral disengagement, social pressures and institutional weaknesses also play important roles.
Nigeria is therefore confronting two related but distinct emergencies.
One requires compassion, early intervention and professional mental healthcare. The other requires prevention, investigation, policing and justice.
Both demand that society stop looking away.
Young Nigerian women should not have to live in fear, suffer silently or become victims of a culture that places wealth above human life. The country’s future depends not only on creating economic opportunities for its young population but also on creating an environment in which they can live, work, form relationships and seek help without fear.