Health
Foundation hails FG suicide decriminalisation move
Enoch Oluwaleke
The Asido Foundation has welcomed the Federal Executive Council’s approval of an amendment to Nigeria’s National Mental Health Act to decriminalise attempted suicide, describing the move as a major shift from punishment to care.
The foundation’s Board of Trustees Chairman, Niyi Olowola, said the decision validated years of advocacy for a more humane response to people experiencing suicidal distress and mental health crises.
Olowola said the development was particularly significant to the foundation, which had in 2024 led a delegation to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to advocate the decriminalisation of attempted suicide.
“For us at Asido Foundation, this is more than a policy announcement. It is the culmination of years of advocacy around a simple but fundamental principle: a person who survives a suicide attempt needs care, treatment and dignity, not prosecution,” he said.
Olowola, however, stressed that the foundation did not claim exclusive credit for the development, noting that several mental health professionals, civil society organisations, legislators, policymakers and advocates had contributed to the campaign.
“Reform of this magnitude is never the work of one institution. We recognise and applaud the many mental health professionals, civil society organisations, legislators, policymakers and advocates who have carried this cause for years,” he said.
He commended President Bola Tinubu, the Federal Executive Council, the AGF and the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare for advancing what he described as a compassionate and public-health-centred approach to suicide prevention.
The development came as the foundation marked its seventh anniversary, having been established in 2019 to promote mental health awareness, reduce stigma and strengthen suicide prevention in Nigeria.
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the foundation, Prof Jibril Abdulmalik, said the proposed reform could encourage people experiencing suicidal distress to seek help without fear of prosecution.
“The most important achievement here is that people who are already at their most vulnerable may increasingly encounter a system designed to help them rather than punish them,” Abdulmalik said.
He, however, called for the amendment to be accompanied by increased access to mental health services, trained professionals and effective crisis-response systems.
“Decriminalisation removes a significant barrier to help-seeking, but it must now be accompanied by accessible services, trained professionals, crisis-response systems, public education and sustained investment in mental health care,” he said.
Abdulmalik described the timing of the announcement as significant, coming during the foundation’s seventh-anniversary celebrations.
“To mark our seventh anniversary at the same moment that Nigeria is taking such an important step towards decriminalising attempted suicide is profoundly significant for our entire community of trustees, staff, volunteers, partners and supporters,” he said.
The foundation also called for sustained collaboration among the federal and state governments, legislators, health institutions, civil society organisations, professional bodies and the private sector to strengthen suicide-prevention services and expand access to mental healthcare.
It noted that the Mental Health Act would still require legislative amendment to expressly provide for the decriminalisation of attempted suicide, while relevant provisions of the Penal and Criminal Codes would also need to be repealed at the state level.
The foundation further called for effective implementation of the Mental Health Act, urging the Federal Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to sustain efforts towards improving mental healthcare delivery.
It reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the government’s 2030 suicide-reduction ambition and promoting a mental healthcare system that is accessible, humane and grounded in dignity.
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