Suicide attempt: CSOs hail bill’s 2nd reading, demand inclusive public hearing

By Chioma Obinna

Civil society organisations (CSOs) have hailed the passage of the Suicide Prevention Bill, 2024, through its second reading in the Senate, urging lawmakers to ensure inclusive public hearings and replace the criminalisation of attempted suicide with medical care and support.
The organisations, Nigerian Mental Health (NMH) and the Nigeria Suicide Prevention Advocacy Working Group (NSPAWG), said the bill’s progress marked an important step towards reforming Nigeria’s legal response to attempted suicide and establishing a more humane, health-centred approach to suicide prevention.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, passed its second reading on October 13, 2026, and was referred to the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary) and the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters for further consideration.
The groups called on the committees to provide opportunities for mental health professionals, healthcare workers, civil society organisations and people with lived experience to contribute to the proposed legislation through accessible and inclusive public hearings.
Under existing provisions of Section 327 of the Criminal Code and Section 231 of the Penal Code, attempted suicide remains a criminal offence in Nigeria.
The organisations argued that the threat of prosecution and imprisonment could discourage people experiencing suicidal distress and their families from seeking urgent medical attention.
According to figures cited by the coalition from the World Health Organization (WHO), Nigeria records more than 15,000 deaths by suicide and approximately 300,000 suicide attempts annually.
Speaking during the Senate proceedings, Ekpenyong questioned the appropriateness of criminal punishment for people who survive suicide attempts.
“At the heart of this bill is a simple question: when a Nigerian survives a suicide attempt, should the first response of the state be prosecution or protection?” he asked.
The senator argued that attempted suicide should be treated as a mental health emergency requiring medical intervention rather than criminal punishment.
He also highlighted the inconsistency between the National Mental Health Act, 2021, and existing provisions of the Criminal and Penal Codes, stressing the need for a more compassionate and effective approach to suicide prevention.
Welcoming the bill’s advancement, Founder of Nigerian Mental Health, Chime Asonye, commended Ekpenyong and the senators who supported its passage through the second reading.
“The Senate has moved the process forward; now it is our turn,” Asonye said.
He described the next legislative stage as an opportunity for people with lived experience, mental health professionals and civil society organisations to help shape a framework that protects lives and upholds human dignity.
The coalition also urged citizens, health advocates and community leaders to participate in the legislative process by submitting memoranda and supporting its national petition for the decriminalisation of attempted suicide.
Beyond removing criminal penalties, the proposed legislation seeks to establish a coordinated national suicide prevention framework, including medical assessment, referral, treatment and follow-up support for people who survive suicide attempts.
It also proposes crisis-response services, training for relevant professionals and first responders, public education and improved national data collection.
Convener of the Nigeria Suicide Prevention Advocacy Working Group, Prof. Taiwo Lateef, urged the two Senate committees to ensure that further consideration of the bill was guided by evidence, the experiences of affected people and the practical realities of delivering mental health services across Nigeria.
The organisations said effective implementation would require clearly defined responsibilities, sustainable funding and accountability mechanisms.
They further called on the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to operationalise and adequately fund the Department of Mental Health Services established under the National Mental Health Act, 2021, to support the implementation of mental health reforms.
Nigerian Mental Health said it had sustained the #SuicideNotCrimeNG campaign following the passage of the National Mental Health Act, bringing together more than 40 mental health organisations, professional associations and civil society partners advocating an end to the criminalisation of attempted suicide.
The Nigeria Suicide Prevention Advocacy Working Group subsequently collaborated with civil society organisations to develop and launch the original concept bill, which has now advanced through the Senate’s second reading.
The coalition said its national petition had attracted thousands of signatures from Nigerians supporting legislative change.
It maintained that the bill’s advancement was an important step, but urged lawmakers to ensure that the final legislation prioritised prevention, treatment, recovery and the dignity of people experiencing suicidal distress.