The Asido Foundation has welcomed the Federal Executive Council’s approval of an amendment to Nigeria’s National Mental Health Act to decriminalise attempted suicide, describing the move as a major shift from punishment to care.
The foundation’s Board of Trustees Chairman, Niyi Olowola, said the decision validated years of advocacy for a more humane response to people experiencing suicidal distress and mental health crises.
Olowola said the development was particularly significant to the foundation, which had in 2024 led a delegation to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to advocate the decriminalisation of attempted suicide.
“For us at Asido Foundation, this is more than a policy announcement. It is 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,” he said.
Olowola, however, stressed that the foundation did not claim exclusive credit for the development, noting that several mental health professionals, civil society organisations, legislators, policymakers and advocates had contributed to the campaign.
