Federal Government has begun steps to remove criminal penalties for attempted suicide after the Federal Executive Council approved the policy, officials announced Thursday.
The decision was made public at an event organised by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to mark the 2026 World Suicide Prevention Day in Abuja.
Minister of State for Health Dr Iziaq Salako, whose speech was delivered by Permanent Secretary Daju Kachollom, said the approval followed work by the National Task Force on Decriminalisation of Attempted Suicide. The task force conducted consultations with government agencies, legal experts, mental health professionals, civil society groups and people with lived experience.
“People experiencing mental health crises should be provided with care, support and appropriate intervention rather than punishment,” the minister’s representative said.
He described the change as both a public health and human rights measure and expressed hope that the National Assembly would amend the relevant sections of the Penal Code and Criminal Code without delay.
Stakeholders welcomed the shift from punishment to care but cautioned that legal reform alone would not resolve the crisis. Professor Taiwo Lateef Sheik, representing the Nigeria Suicide Prevention Advocacy Working Group, said the country records about 16,000 suicide deaths annually and has set a target of cutting deaths and attempts by 50 percent by 2030.
He called for better data collection, crisis services, dedicated funding, specialised training for health workers and full implementation of the National Mental Health Act 2021.
Dr Veronica Oluyemisi Nyamali, president of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, noted that the country’s mental health workforce is already inadequate and shrinking. She said decriminalisation would reduce fear of prosecution but stressed the urgent need to expand available services.
The government said its suicide prevention efforts are guided by the National Mental Health Act 2021, the National Mental Health Policy 2023 and the National Suicide Prevention Strategic Framework 2023–2030.
