The Asido Foundation has welcomed the approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) of an amendment to the National Mental Health Act to decriminalise attempted suicide, asking the government to back it with legislative action to repeal conflicting provisions in the Penal and Criminal Codes at the state level.

Describing the development as a major milestone in Nigeria’s mental health reform, the chairman of the foundation’s Board of Trustees, Meka Olowola, said “the culmination of years of advocacy around a simple but fundamental principle: a person who survives a suicide attempt needs care, treatment and dignity, not prosecution.”

However, the foundation noted that the approval was only an important first step, with further legislative action required to give the reform full effect. Therefore, it called for the Mental Health Act to be formally amended to incorporate the decriminalisation of attempted suicide, while relevant provisions in the Penal and Criminal Codes are repealed at the state level.

The foundation also called for stronger implementation of the Mental Health Act, stressing that legislative reform must be matched by accessible mental healthcare and effective support systems.

According to Abdulmalik, the most important outcome of the reform would be whether vulnerable people could encounter a healthcare system designed to help rather than punish them.