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.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after Wednesday’s FEC meeting. He said the proposed amendment would now be transmitted to the National Assembly for consideration and passage.
Pate explained that attempted suicide remains a criminal offence under provisions inherited from Nigeria’s colonial-era Criminal Code and Penal Code, despite the National Mental Health Act providing for protection, treatment and supportive care for people at risk of self-harm.
According to him, the existing legal framework means people experiencing mental health crises could be arrested and prosecuted after surviving suicide attempts.
“The idea is attempted suicide is not a crime,” Pate said.
The minister said people who attempt suicide, particularly where mental health challenges are involved, should be treated as individuals requiring medical and psychological support rather than punished as offenders.
He 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.
Pate said the goal is to move Nigeria’s response from punishment towards treatment, care and support, adding that the government expects the reform to contribute to reducing both suicide attempts and completed suicides.
“Our goal is to reduce by 15 percent by 2030,” he said.
FEC Approves National Oral Health Centre Bill
The minister also disclosed that FEC 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 healthcare, while providing a legal and institutional framework for tackling oral diseases in Nigeria.
He said the idea 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 explained that it lacked the statutory backing required to operate as a national institution.
The proposed legislation would therefore provide the legal foundation for the centre and strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to provide specialised oral healthcare.
Pate noted that Nigeria already has specialised institutions covering areas such as orthopaedic care, eye care, ear, nose and throat services and snake-bite treatment, making the proposed national oral health centre an important addition to the country’s healthcare system.
Source: Federal Executive Council briefing
