The National Task Force on the Decriminalisation of Attempted Suicide in Nigeria has reaffirmed the urgent need to place people with lived experience at the centre of suicide prevention efforts, calling for the accelerated decriminalisation of attempted suicide, improved access to mental health services, and stronger community-based support systems across the country.
The call was made during a national webinar titled ‘Lived Experience at the Centre of Suicide Prevention: Why Voices Matter,’ which brought together mental health advocates, policymakers, healthcare professionals, civil society representatives, and individuals with lived experience of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts.
Opening the webinar, Cheluchi Onyemelukwe, chairperson of the National Task Force, emphasised that the voices of people with lived experience must inform policy development and implementation.
“The National Task Force on the Decriminalisation of Attempted Suicide was inaugurated by the Honourable Minister of Health and Social Welfare to advance stakeholder engagement, advocacy and legislative reform. We are committed to ensuring that this is not a policy made unilaterally, but one that draws from the experiences of people on the ground, particularly those with lived experience,” she said.
Onyemelukwe noted that the Task Force is working closely with the National Mental Health Programme of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to promote a public health and human rights approach to suicide prevention.
Lived Experience Highlights Harmful Impact of Criminalisation
One of the webinar’s speakers, Adeola Agunbiade, lawyer and mental health policy advisor, shared a powerful account of how the criminalisation of attempted suicide intensified her struggles with depression and delayed her decision to seek help.
“I remember thinking to myself that because of this law, I must succeed. Success meant dying and failure meant living. The fear of punishment kept me silent for a very long time,” she said.
Agunbiade stressed that care, compassion and access to mental health support,not punishment,save lives.
Drawing from her work in mental health advocacy, she highlighted how access to counselling and psychosocial support has helped prevent hundreds of suicide attempts and urged policymakers to prioritise evidence-based interventions.
Community Support Systems Can Save Lives
Development professional and mental health advocate Yinka Shittu called for greater investment in community-based approaches to suicide prevention, stressing that many individuals experiencing suicidal distress encounter support systems that are either inaccessible or unprepared.
“It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes a village to keep that child alive,” he said.
Shittu urged communities to strengthen their capacity to recognise warning signs, practise active listening, support referrals to care, and create safe spaces where individuals can seek help without fear of judgement or discrimination.
He also highlighted the need for employers, educators, faith leaders and community leaders to play a more active role in supporting mental wellbeing and preventing suicide.
Mental Health Recovery Is Possible
Sharing her personal journey, Olayinka Aturu, principal medical laboratory scientist at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, recounted her experience living with bipolar disorder and surviving a suicide attempt.
Aturu described how timely intervention, family support, professional care and encouragement enabled her to complete her education, build a successful career, and become a leading advocate for people living with mental health conditions.
“Attempted suicide is not a crime. It is often a silent cry for help,” she said.
She called for full implementation of Nigeria’s Mental Health Act, expanded community-based mental health services, increased employment opportunities for persons with lived experience, and the establishment of peer support systems across sectors.
National Mental Health Programme Reaffirms Commitment
Speaking during the webinar, Tunde Ojo, national coordinator, National Mental Health Programme, highlighted the importance of adopting a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to suicide prevention.
He noted that suicide prevention requires coordinated action across health, education, social welfare, workplace and community systems.
According to him, Nigeria has made significant progress in advancing mental health governance and suicide prevention efforts, including the development of the National Suicide Prevention Strategic Framework and ongoing efforts to strengthen mental health services at sub-national levels.
Ojo expressed optimism that Nigeria is moving steadily towards the decriminalisation of attempted suicide and called on stakeholders to sustain momentum toward legislative reform.
*Recommendations from the Webinar*
Participants identified several priority actions necessary to strengthen suicide prevention efforts in Nigeria:
Accelerate the decriminalisation of attempted suicide through legislative reform.
Fully implement the National Mental Health Act and provide adequate funding for mental health services.
Expand access to community-based mental health and psychosocial support services.
Integrate mental health education into school curricula and teacher training programmes.
Strengthen suicide risk screening and referral systems within primary healthcare.
Increase public awareness to reduce stigma and discrimination associated with mental health conditions.
Promote peer support networks and lived experience leadership in policy development and service delivery.
Engage employers, faith leaders, traditional leaders and community organisations in suicide prevention efforts.
Improve access to crisis intervention services, counselling and helplines nationwide.
*Decriminalisation as a Critical First Step*
In her closing remarks, Professor Onyemelukwe reiterated that decriminalising attempted suicide is a necessary step towards creating an environment where people can seek help without fear.
“We see decriminalisation as the very first step towards suicide prevention. If people are afraid to come forward because they fear criminalisation, then we have not done very well. Suicide is preventable, and we must continue to amplify that message,” she said.
She encouraged Nigerians to engage with the National Suicide Prevention Strategic Framework and support ongoing advocacy efforts aimed at promoting mental health, protecting human rights and saving lives.
*About the National Task Force on the Decriminalisation of Attempted Suicide*
The National Task Force on the Decriminalisation of Attempted Suicide was inaugurated by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in 2024 to advance the decriminalisation of attempted suicide in Nigeria and support broader suicide prevention, efforts. The Task Force brings together experts from health, law, academia, civil society, government and lived experience communities to promote legislative reform, stakeholder engagement, public awareness and evidence-based suicide prevention interventions. It works in close collaboration with the National Mental Health Programme of the Federal Ministry of Health
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