The Federal Government is taking steps to remove criminal penalties for attempted suicide after the Federal Executive Council approved the position of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on the proposed reform.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, disclosed this in Abuja on Friday during the 2026 World Suicide Prevention Day commemoration.
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, Salako said the proposal would be transmitted to the National Assembly for the required legislative process.
He said the move was intended to address attempted suicide as both a legal and public health issue, stressing that individuals going through mental health crises needed assistance rather than punishment.
A person experiencing a mental health crisis should be met with care, support and appropriate intervention, rather than punishment.
“Removing the fear of criminal sanctions can help reduce stigma, encourage help-seeking and create greater opportunities for timely intervention,” Salako said.
The minister, however, noted that removing criminal sanctions would not, on its own, address suicide. He said the government would continue to improve mental health services, expand community-based support and strengthen early detection and intervention.
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According to him, the government would also encourage more open discussions around mental health as part of broader suicide prevention efforts.
Salako identified the National Mental Health Act 2021, National Mental Health Policy 2023 and National Suicide Prevention Strategic Framework 2023–2030 as major policy documents guiding the country’s approach to suicide prevention and mental healthcare.
He further disclosed that the National Task Force on the Decriminalisation of Attempted Suicide had engaged policymakers and other stakeholders in consultations to advance the proposed reform.
Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of the Mental Health Programme, Dr Tunde Ojo, highlighted the challenges surrounding Nigeria’s suicide data.
Ojo said available statistics on suicide and attempted suicide remained inadequate, adding that the ministry was conducting surveys and using other data collection approaches to develop more reliable and verifiable national figures within the next year.
Also speaking, the National Coordinator, National Action for Suicide Prevention, Dr Ade Bash, reiterated plans to incorporate mental health services into primary healthcare and expand community-focused interventions.
Stakeholders at the commemoration welcomed the Federal Government’s decision, pledging their support for the legislative process and continued efforts to improve suicide prevention and mental healthcare across Nigeria.