The Federal Executive Council has approved an amendment to the National Mental Health Act that will remove criminal penalties for attempted suicide in Nigeria.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, disclosed this on Wednesday after the FEC meeting. He said the move is aimed at treating suicide as a public health issue rather than a crime.

According to Pate, suicide remains a major public health concern in the country. Citing World Health Organisation figures, he said more than 7,000 people die by suicide in Nigeria every year, with an estimated 300,000 attempts recorded annually.

“Under the current law, people who attempt suicide are treated as offenders instead of patients who need care and support,” the minister said.

He referenced Section 327 of the Criminal Code Act and Section 231 of the Penal Code, which currently make attempted suicide a punishable offence.

The proposed amendment, he explained, will change that legal position by guaranteeing protection for people at risk of self-harm and giving them access to treatment and psychosocial support.

Pate added that the bill will now be transmitted to the National Assembly for consideration and passage into law.

Mental health advocates have long argued that criminalising suicide attempts discourages people from seeking help. If passed, Nigeria will join a growing number of countries that have shifted from punishment to treatment-based responses.

The Ministry of Health said it will work with stakeholders, including civil society and healthcare providers, to strengthen suicide prevention and crisis intervention services once the law is amended.