The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved an amendment to the National Mental Health Act to decriminalise attempted suicide in Nigeria.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, disclosed that the reform is targeted at reducing suicide deaths and attempts by 15 per cent by 2030.

Briefing State House correspondents after the FEC meeting at the State House, Abuja, Pate said suicide remains a major public health concern in Nigeria and globally, citing World Health Organisation data showing it is responsible for more than 7,000 deaths annually in the country, with an estimated 300,000 suicide attempts recorded each year.

He revealed, “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.”

He explained that despite this burden, attempted suicide remains criminalised under colonial-era legislation, Section 327 of the Criminal Code Act and Section 231 of the Penal Code, which treat individuals experiencing psychological distress as offenders rather than persons in need of care and support.

He said this legal framework discourages help-seeking behaviour and directly conflicts with the National Mental Health Act 2021, which provides for supportive care, protection and treatment for individuals at risk of self-harm, creating a policy and legal inconsistency within Nigeria’s mental health and justice frameworks.

“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 Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, 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,” Pate said.

Explaining the reasons behind the amendment, Pate said the reform reflects a fundamental shift in how the state treats people who attempt suicide as a result of mental illness.

According to him, “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.”

He said the bill emerged after extensive deliberation involving mental health advocates.

“After extensive deliberation, including by mental health advocates, there was consensus to actually make this amendment, and with the Attorney-General’s Office, the Ministry of Justice, ourselves, and the task force that was set up, in fact, with the support of the National Assembly, we think this bill will make a major difference from a public health perspective and help us deal with the burden of mental ill health that afflicts many Nigerians,” Pate said.

He expressed hope that the decriminalisation would reduce both attempted and completed suicides.

“Hopefully, that will reduce episodes of suicides that are successful or even attempted. Our goal is to reduce by 15 per cent by 2030,” Pate said.