The Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria says poverty, unemployment, insecurity and limited access to affordable mental healthcare must also be tackled

The Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria, led by President Dr Veronica Oluyemisi Nyamali and Secretary-General Professor Kingsley Mayowa Okonoda, on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, welcomed the Federal Government’s proposed suicide decriminalisation but warned that legal reform alone would not be enough to curb suicidal behaviour among Nigerians.

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The psychiatrists said the government must address the difficult social and economic conditions that can deepen psychological distress, including poverty, unemployment, insecurity, food insecurity and the rising cost of living.

The association’s position came a week after the Federal Executive Council approved an amendment to the National Mental Health Act to remove criminal penalties for attempted suicide and agreed to transmit an Executive Bill to the National Assembly.

The proposed reform represents a significant shift from punishment towards care and support. But the APN said its impact would be limited unless it is accompanied by practical measures that improve living conditions and expand access to mental healthcare. (Vanguard News)

Describing the move as a “landmark development and a watershed moment” for mental health reform, the association said people experiencing suicidal crises should primarily be treated as individuals in need of protection and professional support rather than as criminals. (Vanguard News)

The Federal Government’s proposal followed concerns that Nigeria’s existing criminal laws discourage people experiencing severe psychological distress from seeking help.

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said on August 19 that the reform was intended to help reduce suicide deaths and attempts by 15 per cent by 2030.

Pate cited World Health Organisation estimates indicating that more than 7,000 people die by suicide in Nigeria each year, while about 300,000 suicide attempts are recorded annually. He also said more than 450,000 Nigerians require psychosocial support each year. (Punch Newspapers)

Under the existing legal framework, attempted suicide remains punishable under provisions of the Criminal Code and Penal Code inherited from the colonial era.

The government has argued that those provisions are inconsistent with the care, protection and treatment approach established under the National Mental Health Act 2021. (Channels Television)

For the psychiatrists, however, removing the threat of prosecution is only one part of a much larger challenge.

“Mental health is profoundly shaped by the social determinants of health,” the APN said, pointing to economic hardship, unemployment and underemployment, rising transport costs, poor roads, inadequate housing, unsafe communities, unreliable electricity and water supply, food insecurity and the escalating cost of living.

“When citizens are overwhelmed by poverty, insecurity, unemployment, hunger, social isolation and hopelessness, the burden on mental health inevitably increases,” the association said.

The APN argued that government action outside the health sector should therefore be regarded as part of suicide prevention.

“Every meaningful intervention that makes life safer, more dignified and more economically viable is, in itself, a mental health intervention and suicide prevention,” the psychiatrists said.

The association also urged the Federal Government to accelerate implementation of the National Mental Health Act 2021, which was enacted to strengthen the protection, treatment and rights of people living with mental health conditions.

The psychiatrists expressed concern that the legislation has remained largely unimplemented despite its potential to transform mental healthcare delivery.

The federal government has previously said implementation of the Act, alongside the revised National Mental Health Policy 2023 and the National Suicide Prevention Strategic Framework 2023 to 2030, forms part of its wider mental health agenda. (Health.gov.ng)

The APN said expanding services would also require greater attention to affordability.

“Decriminalising suicide must be accompanied by a deliberate expansion of access to quality mental health services,” the association said.

“Accessibility must be matched by affordability.”

It called for an urgent review of the Essential Medicines List for Mental Health and urged the inclusion of essential psychiatric medicines in National Health Insurance Authority coverage.

Such measures, the psychiatrists said, would help reduce the financial pressure faced by patients and families seeking treatment.

The association also called for stronger action against substance use, drug trafficking and the illicit distribution and misuse of psychoactive substances, which it identified as factors that can contribute to mental health crises.

The concerns come against a backdrop of longstanding efforts to reform Nigeria’s approach to suicide. Advocacy groups and lawmakers have pushed for the removal of criminal penalties and the creation of a more supportive system for people experiencing suicidal distress.

A suicide prevention bill introduced in the National Assembly has similarly sought to replace punitive provisions with care, protection and coordinated support. (Nigerian Mental Health)

The government’s latest proposal is therefore an important legislative step, but it is not yet law. The Executive Bill must still be considered and passed by the National Assembly before the relevant criminal provisions can be formally changed. (Pulse Nigeria)

The APN’s intervention places the focus beyond what happens after a suicide attempt. It argues that prevention must begin much earlier, by reducing the pressures that can leave people feeling trapped, isolated or without hope.

“At its core, suicide prevention is about restoring hope, dignity, connection and meaning,” the association said.

“People are more likely to hold on to life when life offers them a reason to live.”

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The proposed suicide decriminalisation could consequently mark an important change in how Nigeria responds to people in psychological crisis, but the psychiatrists say its lasting value will depend on whether the reform is matched by accessible treatment, stronger social protection and practical action to make everyday life safer and more sustainable.