The Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday approved an amendment to the National Mental Health Act to decriminalise attempted suicide in Nigeria.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after the FEC meeting at the State House, Abuja.
Pate said the reform is aimed at reducing suicide attempts and deaths in Nigeria by 15 per cent by 2030.
According to him, suicide remains a major public health challenge in Nigeria and globally, with World Health Organisation data indicating that more than 7,000 people die by suicide annually in Nigeria, while an estimated 300,000 attempts are recorded each year.
He said the impact extends beyond individuals to families, friends and communities, with more than 450,000 Nigerians requiring psychosocial support annually.
“Globally, suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people,” Pate said.
The minister noted that despite the scale of the problem, attempted suicide remains a criminal offence under colonial-era laws, including Section 327 of the Criminal Code Act and Section 231 of the Penal Code.
He said the provisions treat people experiencing psychological distress as offenders rather than individuals requiring medical care and support.
According to Pate, the existing legal framework also discourages people from seeking help and conflicts with the National Mental Health Act 2021, which provides for care, protection and treatment for people at risk of self-harm.
He said the amendment followed a resolution of the House of Representatives and the subsequent establishment of a task force involving relevant government agencies.
“Together with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, we worked towards an amendment of the Mental Health Act, and that has now been passed by the Federal Executive Council and will be transmitted to the National Assembly for enactment,” Pate said.
The minister explained that the proposed reform represents a shift from punishment to treatment and support for people who attempt suicide because of mental health conditions.
“Attempting suicide is not a crime. If someone, because of mental health illness, attempts to harm themselves within the context of those colonial-era laws, you can arrest them and prosecute them for breaking the law.
“But these are people that are actually ill. It’s like getting somebody who has tuberculosis and asking, ‘Why did you have tuberculosis?’ So it’s changing the paradigm to one whereby they require care and support,” he said.
Pate said the amendment followed extensive consultations with mental health advocates, the Attorney-General’s Office, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the task force established with the support of the National Assembly.
He expressed optimism that the reform would help reduce the burden of mental illness in Nigeria and ultimately lower the rates of attempted and completed suicide.
