Mental health group welcomes Senate move to decriminalise attempted suicide

Decriminalising attempted suicide means removing attempted suicide as a criminal offence under Nigeria’s laws. The proposed change would reduce the risk that survivors are prosecuted or imprisoned. It matters because people in suicidal distress may need urgent help, not fear of legal punishment.

Currently, Section 327 of the Criminal Code and Section 231 of the Penal Code make attempted suicide a criminal offence. Under the bill, a person who survives could receive medical assessment, referral, treatment and follow-up support instead of facing prosecution. The bill also proposes crisis-response services and training for professionals and first responders.

The Suicide Prevention Bill, 2024, passed its second reading in the Senate on 13 October 2026. It still requires committee consideration and further legislative stages. NMH and NSPAWG are seeking public hearings so professionals, civil society groups and people with lived experience can help shape the final framework.

The Senate has advanced the Suicide Prevention Bill, 2024, also identified as SB 730, by passing it through second reading on 13 October 2026. The bill seeks to decriminalise attempted suicide and create a coordinated national suicide-prevention framework. This marks progress, but it does not make the proposal law.

The Senate referred the bill to the Committees on Health (Secondary and Tertiary) and Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters. Those committees will examine the proposal in greater detail. The organisations supporting the bill want inclusive public hearings during this stage. They specifically named mental health professionals, civil society organisations, healthcare workers and people with lived experience.

Further legislative consideration remains before the bill could become law. Senate President Godswill Akpabio also called for input from state Houses of Assembly, citing possible conflicts with existing laws. NMH and NSPAWG say implementation would need clear responsibilities, sustainable funding and accountability.

The World Health Organisation estimates that Nigeria records more than 15,000 deaths by suicide each year. It also estimates roughly 300,000 suicide attempts annually. These figures indicate a large public-health challenge involving both deaths and people who survive attempts.

The proposed Suicide Prevention Bill responds by seeking more than the removal of criminal penalties. It would establish a coordinated national framework for prevention. Its measures include medical assessment, referral, treatment and follow-up for survivors, along with crisis-response services. It would also support training, public education and stronger national data collection.

The figures are presented by NMH and the Nigeria Suicide Prevention Advocacy Working Group as part of their case for reform. They also argue that criminalisation can discourage people and families from seeking timely support. The bill has passed second reading, while committees and public hearings are expected to consider how prevention and care should work across Nigeria.

If attempted suicide remains a criminal offence, people who survive may face prosecution and imprisonment. That legal risk can add fear to an already serious mental-health crisis. NMH and NSPAWG say criminalisation can discourage people experiencing suicidal distress, and their families, from seeking timely support.

The current legal position comes from Section 327 of the Criminal Code and Section 231 of the Penal Code. The groups argue that a survivor should be able to access care without fear of criminal punishment. Under the proposed bill, the response would instead include medical assessment, referral, treatment and follow-up support.

The issue remains active because the bill has only passed second reading. Senate committees will consider it, and advocates are calling for public hearings. They want evidence, professional knowledge and lived experience included in the process. NMH and NSPAWG also say effective reform requires funding, clear responsibilities and accountability.

The bill would create a coordinated national framework for suicide prevention. For people who survive an attempt, it proposes medical assessment, referral, treatment and follow-up support. This approach recognises that survival should lead to care and continuing support, rather than prosecution or imprisonment.

The proposal also includes crisis-response services for urgent situations. It would provide training for relevant professionals and first responders, support public education and strengthen national data collection. Together, these measures are intended to connect survivors with care and improve the country’s ability to prevent future deaths and attempts.

The framework is not yet in force. The Senate passed the bill through second reading and referred it to two committees. NMH and NSPAWG are calling for inclusive public hearings as the bill progresses. They say implementation would require clear responsibilities, sustainable funding and accountability, including action by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

NMH and the Nigeria Suicide Prevention Advocacy Working Group want the Senate committees to hold inclusive public hearings. They specifically identified mental health professionals, civil society organisations, healthcare professionals and people with lived experience. Their participation could help lawmakers examine whether the proposed framework is practical and responsive.

Lived experience is relevant because the bill concerns people who survive suicide attempts and families seeking support. The organisations say criminalisation can discourage timely help. People who have experienced suicidal distress can therefore contribute direct knowledge about barriers, support needs and how a care-focused system should work. The article does not detail individual testimonies.

The committees on Health (Secondary and Tertiary) and Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters are handling the bill. NMH and NSPAWG want the next stage informed by evidence and practical realities across Nigeria. They also urge Nigerians, health advocates and community leaders to submit memoranda and support the national petition.

Mental-health advocates argue that attempted suicide should be treated as a health emergency because the immediate priority is protecting life and connecting a person with care. They say criminal punishment can make people in suicidal distress and their families fear seeking timely support. A care-based response aims to reduce that barrier.

Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong said during deliberations that attempted suicide requires medical intervention rather than criminal punishment. The bill therefore proposes assessment, referral, treatment and follow-up for survivors. It also includes crisis-response services, professional training, public education and stronger national data collection.

This approach remains a proposal, not current law. Attempted suicide is still criminalised under Section 327 of the Criminal Code and Section 231 of the Penal Code. The Senate has passed the bill’s second reading, and committees will consider it next. Public hearings could test the framework against evidence, lived experience and service-delivery realities.