By Simpson Global Media News Desk
ABUJA, Nigeria Nigerian mental-health advocates have welcomed the Senate’s advancement of legislation seeking to decriminalise attempted suicide, describing the proposal as an important step towards treating people experiencing suicidal distress as individuals in need of care rather than criminal punishment.
The Suicide Prevention Bill, 2024, also known as SB 730, sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, representing Cross River South, passed second reading in the Senate on October 13, 2026. It has been referred to the Senate Committees on Health (Secondary and Tertiary) and Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for further consideration. (Premium Times; Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation)
The development has drawn support from Nigerian Mental Health (NMH) and the Nigeria Suicide Prevention Advocacy Working Group (NSPAWG), which are calling for inclusive public hearings involving mental-health professionals, medical practitioners, civil society organisations and people with lived experience.
The organisations say criminalising attempted suicide can discourage people experiencing a mental-health crisis, as well as their families, from seeking timely assistance because of fears of prosecution and imprisonment. They want the proposed law to prioritise prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and the dignity of people who survive suicide attempts. (Premium Times)
The bill has not yet become law. It must proceed through further legislative consideration, and its eventual provisions and implementation arrangements will depend on the outcome of that process.
What the proposed legislation seeks to change
Under provisions identified by mental-health advocates, attempted suicide remains a criminal offence under Section 327 of the Criminal Code and Section 231 of the Penal Code. The proposed legislation seeks to remove the criminal penalties associated with attempted suicide while establishing a more coordinated national response to suicide prevention. (Premium Times)
Advocates argue that a person who survives a suicide attempt should be able to access medical and psychological support without fearing criminal punishment.
They say the possibility of prosecution can add another barrier at a moment when timely intervention and continuing care may be particularly important. Families who are uncertain about how authorities will respond may also hesitate to seek help.
The bill proposes a broader framework that goes beyond changing criminal penalties. According to the report by Premium Times, its provisions include medical assessment, referral, treatment and follow-up support for people who survive suicide attempts, as well as crisis-response services.
It also proposes training for relevant professionals and first responders, public education and stronger national data collection to support prevention efforts. (Premium Times)
Such measures would require coordination among healthcare providers, emergency responders, mental-health services and public institutions. Effective implementation would also depend on adequate funding, trained personnel and accessible services.
The advocates have therefore stressed that legislative change should be accompanied by practical arrangements for treatment and recovery. Removing a criminal penalty would be an important legal step, but it would not by itself ensure that people in distress can access appropriate care.
Mental-health groups call for inclusive public hearings
NMH and NSPAWG have urged the Senate committees handling the bill to provide opportunities for a wide range of stakeholders to contribute before the legislation advances further.
They want mental-health specialists, healthcare professionals, civil society groups, legal experts and people with lived experience to participate in public hearings and help lawmakers assess the proposal.
The organisations argue that those who have experienced suicidal distress, or supported loved ones through a crisis, can provide insights into barriers to seeking help that may not be fully captured by legal or policy discussions alone.
Their involvement, they say, should help lawmakers consider how the proposed framework would work in practice, including the relationship between police responses, emergency healthcare, hospital treatment and longer-term support. (Premium Times)
NMH founder Chime Asonye described the next legislative stage as an opportunity for affected people and professionals to help shape a framework that protects lives and upholds human dignity.
The groups have also called on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to operationalise and adequately fund the Department of Mental Health Services established under the National Mental Health Act, 2021. (Premium Times)
The request highlights a wider concern within mental-health advocacy: laws and policies need institutions, budgets and trained workers capable of translating them into accessible services.
Public hearings could also help clarify how proposed provisions would interact with existing criminal laws and the responsibilities of federal and state authorities.
Senate debate exposes disagreement over decriminalisation
The proposal has received support from advocates, but the Senate debate also exposed disagreement about the consequences of removing criminal penalties.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio expressed reservations about decriminalisation, arguing that removing the penalty could encourage suicide attempts. He also called for state Houses of Assembly to be involved in discussions because the issue intersects with provisions of the Criminal Code and Penal Code. (Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation; Premium Times)
His position reflects concerns about how the law should deter harmful conduct and how legislative changes should be coordinated across Nigeria’s legal system.
Mental-health advocates, however, argue that a person who survives a suicide attempt should be directed towards medical assessment and support rather than treated primarily as an offender.
The disagreement makes the committee stage particularly important. Lawmakers will need to examine the legal consequences of the proposal, its compatibility with existing legislation and the practical arrangements required for prevention and care.
The debate also illustrates the difference between decriminalisation and the broader goal of suicide prevention. Changing the law would not eliminate suicidal distress, mental illness or the social and economic pressures that may contribute to a crisis. It would alter how the justice system responds to attempted suicide, while the proposed prevention framework would need to support healthcare and early intervention.
The committees’ review and any public hearings will help determine how these competing concerns are addressed in the bill.
Why advocates say criminalisation can discourage help-seeking
Mental-health groups argue that fear of legal consequences can make people less willing to disclose suicidal thoughts or seek emergency assistance.
If individuals believe that seeking help may expose them to prosecution, they may delay contacting healthcare providers or emergency responders. Families and friends may also be uncertain about whether to involve authorities when someone needs urgent support.
Advocates say a healthcare-centred approach could help reduce these barriers by emphasising assessment, treatment and continued support.
This does not mean every person experiencing a mental-health crisis has the same needs. Appropriate responses may vary according to an individual’s circumstances, immediate safety, medical condition and available services.
The proposed framework’s emphasis on referral and follow-up is therefore significant. An initial emergency response may be only the beginning of a longer process that could involve clinical assessment, counselling, treatment and support from family or community services.
For the approach to be effective, those services must be available and accessible. A change in the law without sufficient clinical capacity could leave people with fewer legal risks but still limited access to care.
Advocates have consequently linked decriminalisation to the need for a functioning mental-health system, trained professionals and adequate government funding. (Premium Times)
The importance of a coordinated prevention system
Suicide prevention involves more than the response to an individual emergency. It can include public awareness, early identification of distress, access to mental-health services, professional training, reliable referral pathways and continuing support after a crisis.
The bill’s proposed measures reflect this broader approach.
Crisis-response services could help people and their families identify where to seek assistance. Training for relevant professionals and first responders could improve the way distress is recognised and handled. Public education could help communities understand mental health and reduce the stigma that may prevent people from discussing their difficulties.
Stronger national data collection could also help policymakers identify gaps in services and evaluate whether interventions are reaching the people who need them.
Reliable data is particularly important when government agencies and healthcare organisations are deciding where to allocate resources. Information about service availability, treatment access and outcomes can help reveal whether policies are producing measurable improvements.
However, data collection must be accompanied by appropriate privacy protections and responsible handling of sensitive personal information.
A coordinated system would also require cooperation between federal and state authorities, healthcare institutions, emergency services and community organisations. The Senate’s concern about the interaction between federal and state laws underlines the importance of addressing legal responsibilities alongside service delivery. (Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation)
The role of the National Mental Health Act
The renewed debate comes after the National Mental Health Act, 2021, which established a legal framework for mental-health services and protections in Nigeria.
NMH says the current campaign builds on advocacy efforts that followed the passage of that law. The group has also launched the #SuicideNotCrimeNG campaign, bringing together more than 40 mental-health organisations, professional associations and civil society partners calling for the decriminalisation of attempted suicide. (Premium Times)
The latest bill presents an opportunity to examine how existing mental-health policy can be strengthened and implemented, particularly in the area of suicide prevention.
The existence of a national law does not automatically guarantee that every community has access to mental-health professionals, appropriate treatment or emergency support. Services can differ in availability and capacity, making implementation and funding important parts of the policy discussion.
Advocates’ call to strengthen the Department of Mental Health Services reflects their concern that institutional responsibilities must be supported with the resources needed to carry them out.
The Senate committees could use the legislative process to hear from service providers about gaps in care, examine the proposed responsibilities of public institutions and consider how prevention measures would be monitored.
Public awareness and stigma remain important concerns
Mental-health advocates say public understanding is an important part of suicide prevention.
Stigma can make it difficult for people to discuss emotional distress or seek professional help. Misunderstandings about mental illness can also influence how families, communities and institutions respond when someone is struggling.
Public education can help explain that suicidal distress should be taken seriously and that people experiencing a crisis may need professional assessment and support.
The proposed bill’s public-education provisions could provide a basis for coordinated awareness efforts if the legislation is passed and adequately implemented. (Premium Times)
Such efforts would need to be sensitive to Nigeria’s varied cultural, religious and linguistic contexts. Information must be understandable and accessible to different communities, while avoiding language that shames people or discourages them from asking for help.
Community leaders, healthcare workers, educators and civil society organisations may all have roles to play in communicating accurate information and helping people identify appropriate support.
Public awareness alone, however, cannot replace professional care. Campaigns must be accompanied by practical information about where services are available and how people can access them.
Funding and implementation will determine the impact
Even if the proposed bill eventually becomes law, its impact will depend heavily on implementation.
A national prevention framework would require clear institutional responsibilities, sustainable financing and mechanisms for monitoring progress. NMH and NSPAWG have specifically highlighted the need for accountability and adequate resources. (Premium Times)
Lawmakers will also need to consider how the framework would operate across different parts of the country, where the availability of mental-health professionals and healthcare facilities may vary.
Training programmes would need to reach the relevant professionals and first responders. Referral systems would need to connect people to appropriate services, and treatment providers would need the capacity to offer assessment and continuing care.
The effectiveness of public education would also depend on whether people can find help when they need it.
These practical questions are important because decriminalisation and service provision address different parts of the problem. The former changes the legal treatment of attempted suicide; the latter determines whether people can obtain appropriate support.
A successful framework would need to connect both elements while respecting the rights and dignity of those affected.
What happens next?
The Suicide Prevention Bill, 2024, has passed second reading but remains under legislative consideration. It has been referred to the relevant Senate committees for further review, with public hearings and stakeholder engagement expected to form part of the next stage. (Premium Times; Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation)
The committees will need to examine the proposed changes to criminal law, the national prevention framework and the responsibilities of institutions involved in delivering care.
The eventual outcome will depend on the legislative process, including any amendments and subsequent stages required before the bill can become law.
For NMH, NSPAWG and other advocates, the next stage represents an opportunity to make the case for a system that emphasises prevention, treatment, recovery and dignity.
The debate is also a reminder that mental-health policy must address both legal barriers and the practical availability of care. Decriminalisation alone cannot resolve every challenge, but advocates believe it could remove one obstacle that may discourage people from seeking help.
As lawmakers consider the bill, the central question will be whether Nigeria can build a coordinated, adequately funded framework that enables people experiencing suicidal distress to access timely and appropriate support without fear of criminal punishment.
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