The Federal Government has approved a proposal to decriminalise attempted suicide in Nigeria, paving the way for the measure to be presented to the National Assembly for legislative consideration.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday during the commemoration of the 2026 World Suicide Prevention Day.
Salako, who was represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved the position of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on decriminalising attempted suicide.
According to him, the proposal will now proceed to the National Assembly for the necessary legislative process, expressing optimism that lawmakers would conclude the process without delay.
He described the proposed reform as both a public health and human rights imperative, arguing that people experiencing mental health crises require care and intervention rather than criminal sanctions.
“A person experiencing a mental health crisis should be met with care, support and appropriate intervention, rather than punishment,” Salako said.
He added that removing the fear of criminal prosecution could help reduce stigma surrounding suicide, encourage people in crisis to seek assistance and create more opportunities for timely intervention.
While describing FEC approval as a major milestone, the minister cautioned that changing the law alone would not be sufficient to prevent suicide.
He said sustained investment in mental health services, early identification and intervention, community support and public awareness would remain critical to reducing suicide and suicidal behaviour.
According to Salako, the Federal Government’s approach was aligned with its broader health-sector agenda under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare had strengthened Nigeria’s policy framework for mental health and suicide prevention through instruments including the National Mental Health Act, 2021, National Mental Health Policy, 2023, and National Suicide Prevention Strategic Framework 2023–2030.
As part of the process, the ministry established the National Task Force on the Decriminalisation of Attempted Suicide, bringing together representatives of government, academia, professional associations, civil society organisations, development partners and people with lived experience.
Salako said the task force had conducted stakeholder consultations, engaged policymakers across the three arms of government, developed a Government White Paper to guide decision-making and undertaken advocacy, sensitisation and public awareness activities.
He urged government institutions, development partners, civil society groups, faith-based and traditional leaders, media organisations, academics, healthcare professionals, youth organisations and Nigerians generally to support efforts to change public perceptions about suicide.
“Suicide prevention is a shared responsibility,” he said.
Earlier, Director of Public Health, Dr Charles Nzelu, represented by the National Coordinator of the National AIDS and STIs Control Programme (NASCP), Dr Adebobola Bashorun, said the ministry remained committed to providing strategic leadership for mental health promotion and suicide prevention.
Nzelu said government efforts included strengthening mental health services, integrating mental healthcare into primary healthcare, improving the capacity of health workers, expanding community-based interventions and strengthening partnerships.
He also highlighted the ministry’s work towards decriminalising attempted suicide, saying the National Task Force had facilitated stakeholder engagement, evidence generation, policy dialogue, advocacy, sensitisation and public awareness.
According to him, the process had involved legal experts, mental health professionals, civil society organisations, development partners, youth representatives and people with lived experience.
Their contributions, he said, were important in ensuring that Nigeria’s response reflects the realities and needs of its population.
Nzelu urged Nigerians to build an environment where people can discuss their mental health, express their emotions and seek help early without fear of stigma or discrimination.
He said World Suicide Prevention Day should serve not merely as an annual observance but as an opportunity to strengthen partnerships, exchange knowledge, raise awareness and mobilise concrete action.
In his goodwill message, Mental Health Programme Manager at the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Nigeria, Dr Akanmu Mujitaba, described suicide as a significant public health concern.
Mujitaba said more than 700,000 people die by suicide globally each year, with more than 70 per cent of deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries.
For Nigeria, he cited World Health Organisation estimates indicating more than 7,000 suicide deaths and approximately 300,000 suicide attempts annually.
He said the figures represented families and communities affected by loss, stressing that suicide could be prevented when appropriate systems, policies and compassionate interventions worked together.
Mujitaba commended the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the National Mental Health Programme for advancing the decriminalisation initiative and urged the government to move from FEC approval to full legislative passage.
World Suicide Prevention Day is observed every September 10 to raise awareness about suicide prevention and promote collective action to reduce suicide and suicidal behaviour worldwide.
