Femi Otedola, a well-known businessman from Nigeria, said in an interview, “Suicide is not an option.” But there’s a worrying trend among some top business people in Africa.
They are dealing with big mental health challenges, and it’s becoming a serious issue.
Recently, Nick Imudia, who used to be a top boss at the online store Konga, sadly took his own life on Tuesday, June 26. His death has started more talk about the stress and pressures that big bosses in Africa face.
Here are 5 African founders who committed Suicide
Laolu Martins
Laolu Martins, the founder of Bukka Hut and a specialist investment banker, tragically took his own life at his home in 2022.
Martins launched his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in 1999 as a chartered stockbroker and chartered accountant.
With 12 years of expertise spanning investment banking, corporate banking, stockbroking, asset management, and pension fund management, his professional journey was marked by significant accomplishments in the financial sector.
Nick Imudia
Nick Imudia, the former Chief Executive Officer of Konga, one of Nigeria’s leading e-commerce platforms, tragically died by suicide.
Reports indicate that he jumped from the balcony of his apartment in the Lekki area of Lagos State on the evening of Tuesday, June 25, 2024.
Before his death, Imudia reportedly made a poignant call to his brother in the United States, providing instructions on how to distribute his wealth.
He also reached out to his young daughter, reassuring her that he would always be there for her, despite his imminent departure.
Markus Jooste
Markus Jooste, the former head of the Steinhoff retail group, tragically took his own life a day after being ordered to pay a $25 million fine—reported to be the largest in South Africa’s history.
Jooste committed suicide during his arrest. He had played a crucial role in transforming Steinhoff from a modest furniture store in Johannesburg into a multinational retail giant.
Rikhado Makhado
Rikhado Makhado, better known as Riky Rick, a famous South African rapper, has sadly passed away at the age of 34.
His death has brought attention to the mental health problems that many men face in a country still healing from its past filled with racism and violence.
Riky Rick grew up in KwaMashu, a place made for black people in Durban during the time when white rulers controlled the country before Nelson Mandela became president in 1994.
He seemed to have everything: a great music career, a loving family with a wife and two kids, and he helped new artists grow.
Onoh Chukwuma Richard
Mr. Onoh Chukwuma Richard, the founder of FASO energy, tragically took his own life after losing N2.5 million naira in a sports bet.
He was quietly buried on Wednesday, December 13, 2023, a friend of the deceased reported anonymously.