The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved an amendment to the National Mental Health Act 2021 to remove attempted suicide as a criminal offence in Nigeria.
Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing State House correspondents after the weekly FEC meeting.
Pate said the proposed amendment would be transmitted to the National Assembly for consideration and passage.
Under Nigeria’s existing criminal laws, attempted suicide remains an offence under provisions inherited from the colonial-era Criminal Code and Penal Code. The minister said this conflicts with the National Mental Health Act, which provides protection, treatment and supportive care for people at risk of self-harm.
According to Pate, the current legal framework can result in people who survive suicide attempts being arrested and prosecuted, rather than receiving medical and psychological support.
“The idea is attempted suicide is not a crime,” he said.
The minister said people who attempt suicide, particularly those experiencing mental health challenges, should be treated as people requiring care and support rather than as offenders.
Pate said the proposed reform followed consultations involving mental health advocates, the Ministry of Justice, the Attorney-General’s office, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, a task force and the National Assembly.
He said the objective was to shift Nigeria’s response from punishment towards treatment, care and support.
The minister added that the government expected the reform to contribute to reducing suicide attempts and completed suicides.
“Our goal is to reduce by 15 percent by 2030,” he said.
FEC approves National Centre for Oral Health bill
FEC also approved the National Centre for Oral Health Establishment Bill 2026 for transmission to the National Assembly.
Pate said the proposed centre would serve as a national referral, research and training institution for oral health, while providing a legal and institutional framework for tackling oral diseases in Nigeria.
He said the initiative could be traced to recommendations from the 1982 International Congress of Oral Health Research in Lagos, which called for an inter-country demonstration, training and research centre for the African region.
Although the Ministry of Health subsequently established a centre, Pate said it lacked the statutory backing required to operate as a national institution.
He said the proposed legislation would provide the necessary legal foundation and strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to deliver specialised oral healthcare.
Pate noted that Nigeria already has specialised institutions covering orthopaedic care, eye care, ear, nose and throat services and snake-bite treatment.
The proposed oral health centre, he said, would therefore be an important addition to the country’s healthcare system.
