Nigeria Mental Health Helplines: Get Help Now
Last checked: 29 September 2026. Every number on this page was checked against the organisation’s own website.
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. Calls are confidential, though some lines say they may contact emergency services if someone’s life is in immediate danger. Several lines are toll-free, as marked below.
In immediate danger, call 112 now, or 767 in Lagos. To talk to someone at any hour, call Safe Place Nigeria on 0800 800 2000. It’s toll-free and answered 24 hours a day.
Experiencing domestic or sexual violence? See If You Are Experiencing Domestic or Sexual Violence below.
Quick‑Access Numbers
| Organisation | Number | Why Call? |
|---|---|---|
| Safe Place Nigeria (She Writes Woman) | 0800 800 2000 (toll‑free, 24/7) | Mental health helpline answered by trained counsellors. Open to anyone in Nigeria, and you don’t need call credit. |
| Lagos Lifeline | 0700 000 6463 (toll‑free) or 0201 410 6463, 24 hours. WhatsApp: 0909 000 6463 | Free crisis support and counselling from the Lagos State Ministry of Health. Open to anyone in Nigeria, not only Lagos. |
| SURPIN | 0800 078 7746 (toll‑free, 24 hours). Also 0908 021 7555, 0903 440 0009, and 0814 224 1007 (Hausa) | Suicide Research and Prevention Initiative. Suicide prevention and crisis support from trained counsellors. |
| MANI | 0809 111 6264 (weekdays, 9am–5pm). WhatsApp: 0916 841 7413 | Emotional support from volunteer counsellors at Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative, with referral where needed. |
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) | Use this if you are in danger right now. Nigeria’s national emergency number, for police, fire and ambulance. |
| Lagos State Emergency | 767 (toll‑free) | Police, ambulance and fire within Lagos State. |
| Safe Place Nigeria (She Writes Woman) | 0800 800 2000 (toll‑free, 24/7) | Confidential support from trained counsellors, at any hour. Talk through what is happening. |
| Lagos State DSVA (Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency) | 0-8000-333-333 (toll‑free, 24/7) | If you are in Lagos State. Free counselling, legal and medical support, and help finding shelter. Anyone can call, including children. |
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. Where an organisation’s own website confirms a direct line, it is listed here. Where it doesn’t, use the link to reach the organisation.
| Organisation | Where | What they do | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA) | Lagos State | State government agency for domestic and sexual violence. Case management, counselling, legal support, medical care and referral to shelter. All its services are free. | 0-8000-333-333 (toll‑free, 24/7) |
| Mirabel Centre | Lagos (LASUTH, Ikeja) | Sexual assault referral centre for men, women and children. Free medical care, forensic examination and counselling for survivors of rape and sexual assault. mirabelcentre.org | 0815 577 0000, 0818 724 3468 (also WhatsApp), 0701 349 1769. Office hours: Monday to Friday 9am–5pm, weekends 10am–4pm |
| WARIF (Women at Risk International Foundation) | Lagos (Yaba) | Rape crisis centre providing free medical treatment, counselling and legal support. | warifng.org |
| Project Alert on Violence Against Women | Lagos and Abuja | Counselling, legal aid and shelter for women experiencing violence. | projectalertnig.org |
| Cece Yara Foundation | Lagos and Abuja | Child sexual abuse. Free counselling, medical care and legal support for children, with support for their families. Emergency help is available in Lagos and Abuja; elsewhere in Nigeria, it refers you on. ceceyara.org | Child helpline: 0800 800 8001 (free, 24 hours, for children). Adults: 0700 700 7001 (paid line) |
| NAPTIP | National | Federal agency against human trafficking. It also enforces the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act in the FCT. naptip.gov.ng | 627 (short code) |
| National Human Rights Commission | National | Free complaints service for human rights violations, including complaints involving the police. nigeriarights.gov.ng | 6472 (toll‑free short code) or 0800 647 2428 (toll‑free), Monday to Friday 8am–4pm |
As of November 2025, Nigeria had 50 Sexual Assault Referral Centres across 24 states, according to the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs. Ask your nearest teaching hospital, or one of the lines above, whether there is one 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 decide what to share, 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 | Mental health helpline answered by trained counsellors. Open to anyone in Nigeria, and no call credit is needed. |
| Lagos Lifeline (Lagos State Ministry of Health) | 0700 000 6463 (0700 000 MIND, toll‑free), 0201 410 6463. WhatsApp: 0909 000 6463. Email: help@lagosmind.org | 24 hours | Free crisis support, counselling, and referral for longer‑term care. Can connect you to emergency services if needed. Open to anyone in Nigeria. |
| SURPIN (Suicide Research and Prevention Initiative) | 0800 078 7746 (toll‑free). Also 0908 021 7555, 0903 440 0009 (also WhatsApp), 0814 224 1007 (Hausa) | Toll‑free line: 24 hours | Suicide prevention and crisis support from trained counsellors. |
| Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative (MANI) | Helpline 0809 111 6264. Also 0811 168 0686. WhatsApp: 0916 841 7413 | Helpline: weekdays, 9am–5pm | Youth‑run mental health organisation. Volunteer counsellors offer emotional support and referral. |
| National Emergency Number | 112 (toll‑free) | Emergency line | For any life‑threatening emergency: police, fire and ambulance. |
| Lagos State Emergency | 767 (toll‑free) | Emergency line | Police, ambulance and fire within Lagos State. |
| Federal Neuro‑Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba (Lagos) | 0815 517 0000, 0906 000 1907 | Emergency unit open 24/7. Clinics on weekdays | Specialist psychiatric hospital at 8 Harvey Road, Yaba. Children and adolescents are seen at its Oshodi annex. |
| Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro (Abeokuta) | 0903 638 0203, 0701 073 7073 | Not published | Nigeria’s first purpose‑built psychiatric hospital, open since 1944. Has an assessment and emergency unit and community mental health services. |
| Federal Neuro‑Psychiatric Hospital, Kaduna | 0803 272 2243 | Emergency unit open 24/7 | Tertiary referral psychiatric hospital in Barnawa, Kaduna. It lists this number as its 24/7 emergency crisis line, and for general enquiries from 8am to 4pm. |
| National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) | 6472 (toll‑free short code), 0800 647 2428 (toll‑free) | Monday to Friday, 8am–4pm | Report abuse, discrimination or other human rights violations, including in health care. |
How to Call for Help
- Find a safe, quiet space. If you can’t speak freely, message Lagos Lifeline on WhatsApp (0909 000 6463) 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, or 767 in 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.
- Try the wellness tools in the Mytherapist.ng app: a daily affirmation, guided meditations and breathing exercises. Many are free; some are part of Mytherapist.ng Prime.
- Follow @mentallyawareng and @shewriteswoman on social media for mental health content.
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.
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