Download The App
Nigeria Mental Health Helplines: Get Help Now
Last updated: 10 August 2026 — domestic and sexual violence section added. Mental health numbers last checked 11 July 2025.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, or unsafe with your thoughts, there is help. The helplines below connect you to trained counsellors who will listen without judgement and guide you to the right support. All calls are confidential, and many are toll‑free from any Nigerian line.
Experiencing domestic or sexual violence? See If You Are Experiencing Domestic or Sexual Violence below. In immediate danger, call 112 now.
Quick‑Access Numbers
| Organisation | Number | Why Call? |
|---|---|---|
| Safe Place Nigeria | 0800 800 2000 (toll‑free, 24/7) | National crisis line run by She Writes Woman offering counselling and referrals to free tele‑therapy. |
| MANI Suicide & Crisis Line | 0809 111 6264, 0811 168 0686 (24/7) | Peer‑led emotional support from Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative. |
| SURPIN – LUTH | 0908 021 7555, 0903 440 0009, 0811 190 9909, 0701 381 1143 (24/7) | Suicide Research & Prevention Initiative, Lagos University Teaching Hospital. |
| Lagos Lifeline | 0700 000 6463 (0700 000 MIND) (24/7) | State‑run mental‑health emergency line for Lagos residents. |
If You Are Experiencing Domestic or Sexual Violence
Before you read on. If the person harming you can see this device, open a private or incognito window, or use a phone they never check. You can leave this page at any time by closing the tab.
Abuse is not only physical. Emotional, financial, sexual and digital abuse are all abuse, and all of them are reasons to call. You do not need to have decided to leave, and you do not need to be sure it is “bad enough”. If you are frightened of someone in your home, that is enough.
Start here
| Line | Number | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| National Emergency | 112 (toll‑free, 24/7) | Use this if you are in danger right now. Connects you to police and ambulance anywhere in Nigeria. |
| Lagos State Emergency | 767 (24/7) | Police, ambulance and fire within Lagos State. |
| Safe Place Nigeria (She Writes Woman) | 0800 800 2000 (toll‑free, 24/7) | Confidential counselling. Talk through what is happening and be pointed to specialist services near you. You do not have to give your name. |
| MANI | 0809 111 6264, 0811 168 0686 (24/7) | Trained volunteers offering confidential emotional support, including referral. |
Specialist organisations
These organisations work specifically with survivors of domestic and sexual violence, providing some combination of medical care, counselling, legal aid, shelter and case management. We are re‑confirming their current direct lines with each organisation before publishing them here. In the meantime, the 24/7 lines above can refer you to the right one for your location, and their websites carry their own current contact details.
| Organisation | Where | What they do |
|---|---|---|
| Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) | Lagos State | State government agency for domestic and sexual violence. Case management, referral to shelter, medical care and legal support. |
| Mirabel Centre | Lagos (LASUTH, Ikeja) | Sexual assault referral centre. Free medical care, forensic examination and counselling for survivors of rape and sexual assault. mirabelcentre.org |
| WARIF (Women at Risk International Foundation) | Lagos | Rape crisis centre providing free medical treatment, counselling and legal support. warifng.org |
| Project Alert on Violence Against Women | Lagos, national advocacy | Counselling, legal aid and shelter for women experiencing violence. projectalertnig.org |
| Cece Yara Foundation | Lagos | Child sexual abuse. Free counselling, medical care and legal support for children and their families. ceceyara.org |
| NAPTIP | National | Federal agency handling trafficking and certain gender‑based violence offences. naptip.gov.ng |
| National Human Rights Commission | National | 0807 709 1123, 0807 709 1124 (weekdays). Complaints about rights violations, including where police have refused to act. |
Many states outside Lagos now have their own Sexual Assault Referral Centres and domestic violence response teams. Ask the 24/7 lines above, or your nearest teaching hospital, what exists in your state.
Calling safely
- Call from a phone they do not check, or from somewhere you cannot be overheard — a neighbour’s, a workplace, a clinic.
- Clear the call from your recent‑calls list afterwards if your phone may be checked.
- Agree a code word with one person you trust, meaning “call for help”.
- You do not have to give your name to the counselling lines, and you do not have to have decided anything.
- Leaving is the most dangerous time. Risk often rises at the point of separation — this is exactly when to involve people who do this professionally rather than manage alone.
Full Directory of Helplines
| Organisation | Phone Numbers | Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safe Place Nigeria (She Writes Woman) | 0800 800 2000 (toll‑free) | 24/7 | Crisis counselling; connects callers to free online therapy and community support. |
| Lagos Lifeline (State Govt.) | 0700 000 6463 (0700 000 MIND) | 24/7 | Links callers with psychiatric professionals and emergency services within Lagos State. |
| Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative (MANI) | 0809 111 6264, 0811 168 0686 | 24/7 | Nigeria’s largest youth‑driven mental‑health NGO; calls answered by trained volunteers. |
| National Emergency Number | 112 (toll‑free) | 24/7 | For any life‑threatening emergency nationwide; ask for mental‑health assistance. |
| Nigerian Suicide Prevention Initiative (NSPI) | 0806 210 6493, 0809 210 6493 | 24/7 | Telephone counselling and suicide‑prevention education. |
| SURPIN – Lagos University Teaching Hospital | 0908 021 7555, 0903 440 0009, 0811 190 9909, 0701 381 1143 | 24/7 | Evidence‑based crisis line staffed by mental‑health professionals. |
| Federal Neuro‑Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba (Lagos) | 0815 517 0000, 0906 000 1907 | Weekdays + 24h emergencies | Specialist psychiatric hospital; can arrange same‑day in‑patient admission. |
| Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro (Abeokuta) | 0903 638 0203, 0701 073 7073 | Weekdays + 24h emergencies | Historic national referral centre; provides community outreach. |
| Federal Neuro‑Psychiatric Hospital, Kaduna | 0803 272 2243 | Weekdays | Northern zone referral hospital; crisis assessment and admission. |
| National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) | 0807 709 1123, 0807 709 1124 | Weekdays | Report abuse, discrimination, or rights violations in mental‑health settings. |
| Lagos State Emergency | 767 | 24/7 | General emergency line (police, ambulance, fire) within Lagos. |
How to Call for Help
- Find a safe, quiet space. If you can’t speak freely, send a brief text or ask someone you trust to call.
- Say how you feel. You don’t need a diagnosis—telling the counsellor you feel “unsafe with my thoughts” is enough.
- Let them guide the call. Counsellors may ask questions to understand your situation and keep you safe.
- If a line is busy, try again or call another number. Don’t give up—you deserve support.
- For immediate danger, call 112 (nationwide) or 767 (Lagos) or go to the nearest hospital.
More Support Options
- Book a private video session on Mytherapist.ng — see a licensed therapist from anywhere in Nigeria.
- Join the MyTherapist.ng community for daily affirmations, guided meditations, and peer support groups.
- Follow @mentallyawareng and @shewriteswoman on social media for mental‑health content and live chats.
Disclaimer
We aim to keep this list accurate and up to date, but helpline availability can change. If a number doesn’t connect, visit the organisation’s website or social pages to check for updates, or dial another helpline on this page.
This directory is for informational purposes and should not replace professional medical advice.
AS SEEN ON
This is your sign to put yourself first.
Start therapy today — the relief you deserve is just a few taps away.
