Nigeria’s attempted suicide laws worsening cases, experts warn

Nigeria’s criminalisation of attempted suicide is worsening outcomes, fuelling stigma and deterring people from seeking help, mental health experts have warned, calling for an urgent review of existing laws.

This was brought to the fore at a webinar organised by the National Task Force on the Decriminalisation of Attempted Suicide. The National Taskforce on Decriminalisation of Attempted Suicide in Nigeria, chaired by Cheluchi Onyemelukwe, was established by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare to support the process of decriminalising attempted suicide in Nigeria. In the webinar, speakers argued that the country’s legal approach is out of step with both evidence and public health priorities.

Currently, attempted suicide is a criminal offense in Nigeria under the Criminal Code Act (Southern Nigeria) and the Penal Code (Northern Nigeria), punishable by up to one year in prison, a fine, or both. Specifically, Section 327 of the Criminal Code Act labels it a misdemeanor, while Section 231 of the Penal Code applies in northern states.

Adegboyega Ogunwale, a consultant psychiatrist and member of the task force said the review of existing laws is crucial, and Nigeria needs to draw from comparable examples in other countries.

Ogunwale noted that despite the existence of these criminal sanctions, Nigeria recorded over 7,000 suicide-related cases in 2019, while citing global studies showing that in at least 10 out of 21 jurisdictions where attempted suicide remains criminalised, suicide rates have continued to rise.

“Attempted suicide is more complex than a legal issue. There is no evidence that criminalisation works, and no evidence that decriminalisation increases suicide rates,” he said.

He argued that punitive laws contribute to stigma, which in turn leads to underreporting, missed opportunities for intervention and unreliable national data.

He further noted Nigeria’s target to reduce suicide deaths by 15% between 2023 and 2030. With four years left to achieve that vision, he described suicide prevention as a national priority.

According to him, mental health services, psychosocial support systems and welfare interventions, not the criminal justice system are critical to prevention.

He explained that mental health conditions remain a significant driver with about 90% of people who attempt suicide having an underlying mental illness, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, personality disorders and severe conditions such as schizophrenia.

Beyond clinical factors, he highlighted a range of psychosocial and structural determinants, including unemployment, poverty, social isolation, relationship difficulties and business failure which increase vulnerability.

“These are not necessarily medical conditions, but they shape mental health outcomes and can push individuals towards suicidal behaviour,” he said.

Also speaking, Hauwa Ojeifo, director of She Writes Woman and a member of the task force, recounted her experience after a suicide attempt, when she was informed at the hospital that she had committed a criminal offence. According to her, the experience rather reinforced harmful thinking rather than encouraging recovery.

“What people don’t understand is that when you criminalise suicide, you don’t deter people, you make them determined not to fail next time. My next thought was that if I ever got out of that place, I would not fail again. It would not be an attempt,” she said.

Ojeifo said her organisation’s records show that recorded more than 60% of those experiencing suicidal thoughts or attempting suicide in Nigeria are between the ages of 18 and 35, majority of whom are women.

Speaking on government’s efforts Babatunde Ojo, national coordinator of the National Mental Health Programme at the Federal Ministry of Health, noted that in 2023, Nigeria developed both a National Mental Health Policy and a National Suicide Prevention Strategic Framework, marking the first time policy, strategy and legislative backing are aligned in addressing mental health challenges.

However, he acknowledged that implementation remains delayed but critical.

He said the government is working with advocacy groups and professional bodies, including the Association of Psychiatrists of Nigeria, to advance reforms and decriminalise attempted suicide.