The Bola Tinubu administration has approved the amendment of the National Mental Health Act to decriminalise attempted suicide in Nigeria and its subsequent transmission to the National Assembly for enactment.
Disclosing this to journalists on Wednesday, after the Federal Executive Meeting at the State House in Abuja, health minister Ali Pate noted that suicide remains a major public health concern in and outside Nigeria.
Mr Pate stated that the proposed amendment would reduce such deaths and attempts by 15 per cent by 2030.
The minister said, “Council looked at this issue, and a task force had been set up following a resolution of the House of Representatives, which is supportive of this. Together with the Ministry of Justice and the Mental Health Act, 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. Hopefully, that will reduce episodes of suicides that are successful or even attempted. Our goal is to reduce by 15 per cent by 2030.”
Mr Pate, while citing the World Health Organisation, which recorded over 7,000 annual suicide deaths in Nigeria, and a yearly 300,000 suicide attempts globally, stated that despite the burden, attempted suicide remains a crime in the country.
Under colonial-era legislation, Section 327 of the Criminal Code Act and Section 231 of the Penal Code treat individuals suffering psychological distress as offenders rather than needing care and support.
The minister said, “The impact extends beyond the individuals involved. It affects families, friends and communities, with over 450,000 Nigerians requiring psychosocial support annually. Globally, suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people.
“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.”
Mr Pate said the amendment was approved after extensive deliberation by mental health advocates and expressed hope that the decriminalisation would reduce both attempted and completed suicides.
