Nigeria is moving towards changing the way the country treats attempted suicide, with the Federal Executive Council approving a proposal to remove the criminal penalties attached to suicide attempts.
The proposed reform represents a shift from treating attempted suicide primarily as a criminal matter to approaching it as a mental-health and public-health concern.
For many years, people who survived suicide attempts could face prosecution under provisions of Nigeria’s Criminal Code and Penal Code. Section 327 of the Criminal Code provides for a possible prison sentence of up to one year, while Section 231 of the Penal Code similarly provides for imprisonment, a fine, or both.
The legal position, however, differs across parts of the country because some northern states operate under amended or related provisions with different penalties.
Government backs change in approach
The Federal Executive Council’s approval followed consultations involving the Ministries of Health and Social Welfare and Justice, mental-health advocates, lawmakers and other stakeholders.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said the proposed amendment is intended to bring the law into greater alignment with Nigeria’s Mental Health Act 2021, which provides for protection, treatment and support for people experiencing mental-health challenges.
The government has also developed the National Suicide Prevention Strategic Framework 2023–2030 as part of efforts to strengthen suicide prevention and mental-health interventions.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, said the reform would move the response away from punishment and towards care, support and timely intervention.
A National Task Force on the Decriminalisation of Attempted Suicide has also been established, bringing together government agencies, academics, professional organisations, civil society groups and development partners.
Advocates seek broader reforms
Mental-health and suicide-prevention advocates have welcomed the proposed legal change, arguing that fear of arrest or prosecution can discourage people experiencing suicidal distress from seeking medical attention.
Chime Asonye, founder of Nigerian Mental Health, argued that people who survive suicide attempts should receive clinical attention rather than criminal charges.
Advocates have also stressed that decriminalisation alone will not resolve Nigeria’s suicide-prevention challenges. They say the country needs stronger crisis-response systems, reliable data, adequate funding, specialised training and accessible mental-health services.
Prof. Taiwo Sheikh, Convener of the Nigeria Suicide Prevention Advocacy Working Group, said the proposed National Suicide Prevention Bill 2024 should complement the amendment by establishing a broader framework for prevention, crisis intervention, data collection and funding.
According to him, removing criminal penalties without developing adequate support systems would leave important gaps in the country’s response.
Mental-health workforce remains a concern
Another major challenge is the availability of trained professionals and services.
The Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria has said the country has fewer than 1,000 psychiatrists serving a population of more than 200 million, with professionals also leaving the country.
Dr Veronica Nyamali, president of the association, said decriminalisation could reduce fear of seeking help but warned that Nigeria’s mental-health workforce remains insufficient.
Other stakeholders have identified poverty, unemployment, family conflict, violence, isolation, substance use, displacement and untreated mental-health conditions among factors that can contribute to suicidal distress.
Data and access to care remain critical
Stakeholders have also raised concerns about the quality and availability of national suicide and mental-health data.
Dr Tunde Ojo, National Coordinator of the National Mental Health Programme, acknowledged that Nigeria does not yet have comprehensive national mental-health indicators, although plans are underway to develop them.
Better data, stakeholders say, would help government identify vulnerable groups, geographical gaps and areas requiring greater investment in mental-health services.
They have also called for mental-health care to be integrated more effectively into primary healthcare so that people can access support closer to their communities.
What happens next?
The Federal Government’s approval is not the final stage of the reform. The proposed amendment still requires legislative consideration and passage before the legal position can be changed.
Stakeholders are therefore urging the National Assembly to advance the process while simultaneously strengthening suicide-prevention programmes, mental-health services, public education and crisis-response systems.
If completed and properly implemented, the reform would represent a significant change in Nigeria’s legal response to attempted suicide, replacing a punitive approach with greater emphasis on treatment, support and prevention.
However, stakeholders maintain that meaningful progress will depend not only on changing the law but also on sustained funding, trained personnel, accessible services, reliable data and efforts to reduce stigma surrounding mental-health challenges.
