The Federal Executive Council has approved a proposed amendment to Nigeria’s mental health legislation aimed at removing attempted suicide from the country’s criminal laws and replacing punishment with medical treatment, psychological care, rehabilitation and support.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing State House correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting.
Pate said the proposed amendment would now be transmitted to the National Assembly for consideration and passage, stressing that the reform would not take legal effect until approved by lawmakers.
According to the minister, attempted suicide remains criminalised under provisions inherited from Nigeria’s colonial-era Criminal Code and Penal Code, despite the mental health law providing protections and access to treatment for persons experiencing mental health crises and risks of self-harm.
He said the existing situation means a person who survives a suicide attempt could potentially face arrest or prosecution at a time when such a person requires urgent medical and psychological intervention.
“The idea is attempted suicide is not a crime,” Pate said.
He maintained that persons who attempt suicide, particularly where mental health challenges are involved, should be treated as people requiring care and support rather than as criminals.
Pate explained that the proposed reform followed consultations involving mental health advocates, the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, a task force and the National Assembly.
He said the objective was to fundamentally change Nigeria’s approach to suicide attempts from criminal punishment to treatment, rehabilitation and support.
According to him, the Federal Government believes that removing the threat of prosecution could encourage people experiencing mental health crises to seek assistance and enable families, health professionals and relevant institutions to intervene before situations deteriorate.
The government also expects the policy change to contribute to a reduction in both attempted and completed suicides in Nigeria.
“Our goal is to reduce by 15 per cent by 2030,” Pate said.
The proposed amendment will, however, require the approval of the National Assembly before attempted suicide can effectively be removed from the relevant criminal provisions.
Pate said the legislation would establish a national institution dedicated to specialised oral healthcare, research, professional training and referrals.
Pate said the legislation would establish a national institution dedicated to specialised oral healthcare, research, professional training and referrals.
According to him, the proposed law would provide the legal and institutional framework necessary to strengthen Nigeria’s response to oral diseases and expand access to specialised dental and oral health services.
The minister traced the initiative to recommendations made during the 1982 International Congress of Oral Health Research in Lagos, where participants called for the creation of an inter-country demonstration, training and research centre for the African region.
He said the Federal Ministry of Health subsequently established a centre, but the institution had continued operating without the statutory foundation required for it to function fully as a national institution.
The newly approved bill, Pate explained, is intended to address that gap by providing the centre with a clear legal mandate and strengthening its capacity to undertake specialised treatment, research and professional training.
He noted that Nigeria already operates specialised national health institutions dealing with areas including orthopaedic care, eye care, ear, nose and throat services, as well as snake-bite treatment.