Archives of Business Research – Vol.6, No.11 Publication Date: Nov. 25, 2018 DOI: 10.14738/abr.611.5544. Asogwa, E. U., & Onyezere, J. O. (2018). Economic Recession In Nigeria: An Important Risk Factor For Suicide. Archives of Business Research, 6(11), 73-84. Economic Recession In Nigeria: An Important Risk Factor For Suicide Emmanuel U. Asogwa (Ph.D.) Department Of Human Kinetics Anf Health Education University Of Port-Harcourt, Nigeria John. O. Onyezere (Ph. D.) Department Of Human Kinetics And Health Education University Of Port-Harcourt ABSTRACT There was a general belief and assumption that Nigerians so much love life that none of its citizens can ever think of taking his own life. This might have been responsible for the World Values Survey Report in 2003, which ranked Nigerians among the happiest people in the world, and the 6 th happiest people in Africa, and 95 th in the world by the United Nations (UN) in spite of the glaring challenges confronting them. However, these good stories may have been faulted and the general belief and assumption dispersed by the worrisome high rates of suicide in Nigeria few months into economic recession, which started in the first quarter of 2016. This development is strange to Nigerians, and in view of this, there are grounds to consider an association between economic recession and increased suicide rates. This study, therefore, intends to establish that economic recession is an important risk factor for suicide, and recommend measures to prevent recession-induced suicide. Key words: Economic recession, and Suicide INTRODUCTION Nigeria has witnessed a rapid increase in suicide occurrence in recent times, shortly few months into economic recession in the country in the first quarter of 2016. The disturbing rise in suicide cases in the nation has attracted attention from many quarters, including national assembly. In June 2017, the Nigerian Senate raised alarm over the rising spate of suicides and suicide attempts in the country. The senators wondered why the sudden rise in suicide cases in Nigeria, a country that was ranked 78 th happiest nation in the world and 4 th in Africa in the 2015 World Happiness Report; and the 95 th happiest nation from 155 countries, according to another report published in March, 2017 (Ojiabor, 2017). This development calls for a probe into relationship or correlation between economic recession and suicide occurrence. In her reaction to this problem, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, representing Lagos central zone in the 8 th National Assembly, noted that societal ills, economic difficulty and crime rates, which are prevalent in Nigeria are sufficient to send anyone over the edge. This followed reports of suicide cases on mass media on daily basis happening in different parts of the country. For instance, Nigeria Police Report in Lagos State shows that in a week, four suicide cases were reported in Lagos alone (Punch, March 21 & 25, 2017) added to many other cases of suicide in different parts of the country. Suicide means an act to end one’s own life intentionally, either by self-inflicted or indirect means of assistance of another person, or inaction of the individual, when he or she knows that his or her inaction will cause his or her own death (Asogwa, 2012). The term ‘suicide’ connotes a deliberate act to end one’s own life. Suicide, whether it is complete or incomplete (attempt), or as the sequential outcome of mental disorder, economic hardship, interpersonal