RismadarVoice Reporters
September 11, 2026
The Federal Government has commenced moves to remove criminal penalties for attempted suicide following the approval of the proposal by the Federal Executive Council.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, disclosed this in Abuja during the 2026 World Suicide Prevention Day commemoration.
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, Salako said the proposal would be forwarded to the National Assembly for the required legislative process.
He said the reform was aimed at treating attempted suicide as a public health and mental health concern rather than a criminal offence.
According to him, people experiencing mental health crises require care and timely intervention, while removing the threat of criminal sanctions could encourage more people to seek help.
Salako, however, stressed that decriminalisation alone would not end suicide, adding that the government would continue to expand mental health services, strengthen community-based support and promote early intervention.
He cited the National Mental Health Act 2021, National Mental Health Policy 2023 and National Suicide Prevention Strategic Framework 2023–2030 as key frameworks guiding the country’s response.
The minister also said the National Task Force on the Decriminalisation of Attempted Suicide had consulted relevant stakeholders to advance the proposed reform.
Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of the Mental Health Programme, Dr Tunde Ojo, acknowledged gaps in Nigeria’s suicide data.
Ojo said the ministry was conducting surveys and other data-gathering exercises to develop more reliable national statistics within the next year.
The National Coordinator of National Action for Suicide Prevention, Dr Ade Bash, said efforts were also underway to integrate mental health services into primary healthcare and expand community-based interventions.
Stakeholders at the event welcomed the proposed reform and pledged support for the legislative process and broader efforts to strengthen mental healthcare and suicide prevention in Nigeria.
