Suicide Prevention Month: Nollywood Must Tell Mental Health Stories With More Care

Suicidal imagery and mental illness are often used as comedy, punishment or shock value in Nollywood. A familiar example is the widely shared image of Nkem Owoh with a rope around his neck, repurposed as a joke for everyday online conversations. Many films still portray mental illness as the result of a spiritual attack, betrayal or ritual gone wrong. Characters are reduced to exaggerated behaviour and public breakdowns, with little attention to treatment, trauma or their inner lives. These portrayals can deepen harmful misunderstandings. Suicide is also too often used as a plot twist instead of being treated with emotional depth. Films such as *For Maria Ebun Pataki* offer a better approach by showing postpartum depression through the character’s isolation, family pressures and unseen pain. Nollywood’s reach means its stories can shape how many Nigerians understand mental health. Anyone needing urgent support can contact the National Emergency Helpline on 112 or reach out to Nigerian mental-health organisations such as MANI, She Writes Woman, SURPIN and the Asido Foundation.

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