The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved an amendment to Nigeria’s mental health law to decriminalise attempted suicide, declaring that people who attempt to take their own lives require medical care and psychosocial support rather than prosecution.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing journalists at the State House, Abuja, after the fourth FEC meeting of the year, presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Pate said the proposed amendment to the National Mental Health Act would be transmitted to the National Assembly as an executive bill, as the Federal Government moves to abolish colonial-era legal provisions that continue to classify attempted suicide as a criminal offence.
According to the minister, the reform represents a fundamental shift in the country’s approach to suicide and mental health, with attempted suicide to be treated principally as a public health challenge requiring professional intervention, treatment and support.
He said available World Health Organisation figures indicate that more than 7,000 people die by suicide annually in Nigeria, while about 300,000 suicide attempts are recorded every year.
Pate added that more than 450,000 Nigerians require psychosocial support annually, noting that suicide is also the third leading cause of death among young people globally.
Despite the scale of the challenge, he said, attempted suicide remains criminalised under Section 327 of the Criminal Code Act and Section 231 of the Penal Code, leaving people suffering severe psychological distress vulnerable to prosecution at a time when they most require professional assistance.
The minister said the provisions also create a disincentive for vulnerable people and their families to seek help, besides being inconsistent with the philosophy of the National Mental Health Act, which emphasises treatment, protection and supportive care for people facing mental health challenges or at risk of self-harm.
“The idea is attempting suicide is not a crime”, Pate said.
He explained that the amendment would change the prevailing approach by recognising those who attempt suicide as people in need of care rather than offenders deserving punishment.
Pate likened criminalising attempted suicide to punishing somebody for suffering from an illness, arguing that mental health conditions should attract the same treatment-oriented response given to other health conditions.
“So it’s changing the paradigm to one whereby they require care and support”, he said.
The minister said the government expects the reform to encourage people experiencing psychological distress to seek assistance without fear of prosecution and ultimately contribute to reducing the incidence of attempted and completed suicide in the country.
According to him, the Federal Government has set a target of reducing the incidence by 15 per cent by 2030.
He explained that the move followed extensive consultations and deliberations involving mental health advocates and other stakeholders, as well as the work of a task force established following a resolution by the House of Representatives supporting the decriminalisation of attempted suicide.
Pate said the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare subsequently worked with the Federal Ministry of Justice to develop the proposed amendment before presenting it to FEC for consideration.
With the Council’s approval, the executive bill will now be forwarded to the National Assembly for legislative action.
The minister said the proposed reform was part of broader efforts to confront Nigeria’s growing mental health burden and remove legal obstacles that discourage people in distress from seeking professional care. NigerianEconomic Reports
He argued that treating attempted suicide as a crime had become increasingly untenable in the light of modern understanding of mental health and the need for early intervention.
The new approach, he said, would instead place emphasis on medical treatment, counselling, psychosocial support and other interventions necessary to help people overcome crises that could lead to self-harm.
Pate said the government expects that replacing punishment with care would encourage earlier reporting and intervention, while helping families and health professionals respond more effectively to people experiencing mental health crises.
The reform will, however, require the approval of the National Assembly before the existing legal regime can be changed.
If enacted, the amendment would mark a major departure from the longstanding approach under which attempted suicide is treated as an offence, replacing it with a public health framework centred on prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.
