The Federal Government has commenced official moves to abolish criminal penalties for individuals who attempt suicide, following the formal approval of a proposed legislative reform by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
This news was officially announced on Thursday, September 10, 2026, during a media conference commemorating World Suicide Prevention Day in Abuja.
​The decision was reached during the weekly FEC meeting held at the State House, Abuja, on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. Under the new policy direction, the government approved an executive amendment to the National Mental Health Act designed to repeal colonial-era provisions that criminalise self-harm attempts.
​Briefing State House correspondents at the Council Chambers shortly after the meeting, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, revealed that the proposed amendment aims to shift Nigeria’s health paradigm from punishment to compassionate medical care and rehabilitation.
​According to Professor Pate, existing legislation, specifically Section 327 of the Criminal Code Act and Section 231 of the Penal Code, treats individuals experiencing severe psychological distress as lawbreakers subject to arrest and prosecution rather than patients in need of help.
​”Attempting suicide is not a crime,” Prof. Pate stated during the press briefing. “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. But these are people who are actually ill. It is like getting somebody who has tuberculosis and asking, ‘Why did you have tuberculosis?’ We are changing the paradigm to one whereby they require care and support.”
​The Minister highlighted the public health urgency behind the reform, citing World Health Organisation (WHO) data indicating that suicide claims over 7,000 lives annually in Nigeria, with roughly 300,000 recorded attempts. Furthermore, more than 450,000 Nigerians require psychosocial support each year.
​The initiative was spearheaded by a joint task force comprising the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Ministry of Justice, and mental health advocacy groups, with institutional support from the House of Representatives.
​Following the executive approval, the amendment bill will be transmitted to the National Assembly for formal legislative passage into law, with the federal government targeting a 15 per cent reduction in suicide mortality and attempts by 2030.
