Asido Foundation Welcomes FG’s Move to Decriminalise Attempted Suicide, Hails Milestone in Nigeria’s Mental Health Reform

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 decision as a landmark shift from punishment to care and an important validation of years of sustained mental health advocacy in Nigeria.

The announcement, made as the Foundation marked its seventh anniversary, was particularly significant for Asido, which has consistently advocated for a more humane, evidence-based response to people experiencing suicidal distress and mental health crises.

For the Asido Foundation, the decision represents an important milestone in an advocacy journey that became especially visible in 2024, when a delegation led by the Foundation’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Meka Niyi Olowola, visited the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to formally advocate for the decriminalisation of attempted suicide and stronger implementation of Nigeria’s mental health legislation. The delegation included the Foundation’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Professor Jibril Abdulmalik, and its Abuja Regional Coordinators.

Commenting on the Federal Government’s decision, Olowola said: “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. When we led our delegation to the Attorney-General of the Federation in 2024, we went with a clear conviction that Nigeria could and should do better. We are therefore deeply encouraged to see that conversation translated into decisive government action.”

He added that the Foundation viewed the development not as an opportunity to claim exclusive credit, but as evidence of what sustained, collaborative advocacy can accomplish.

“Reform of this magnitude is never the work of one institution. We recognise and applaud the many mental health professionals, civil society organisations, legislators, policymakers and advocates who have carried this cause for years. Asido is proud to have been one of the voices consistently pushing for change, and particularly proud that our direct engagement with the Attorney-General contributed to building momentum around this important reform.”

Olowola also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the Federal Executive Council, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare for advancing a policy direction that places compassion, public health and human dignity at the centre of the national response to suicide.

The significance of the announcement was heightened by its timing, coming during the week of Asido Foundation’s seventh anniversary. Since its establishment in 2019, the Foundation has grown into a prominent voice in mental health advocacy, public education, capacity building and suicide prevention, while supporting efforts to strengthen the implementation of Nigeria’s mental health framework.

Reflecting on the milestone, Professor Jibril Abdulmalik, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Asido Foundation, said: “The most important achievement here is that people who are already at their most vulnerable may increasingly encounter a system designed to help them rather than punish them. That is the direction modern mental healthcare must take. Decriminalisation removes a significant barrier to help-seeking, but it must now be accompanied by accessible services, trained professionals, crisis-response systems, public education and sustained investment in mental health care. This is progress, but it is also a call to deepen the work.”

Professor Abdulmalik also described the development as an especially meaningful seventh-anniversary milestone for the Foundation. “Seven years ago, we set out to help build a society in which mental health challenges would be met with understanding rather than stigma and where people could seek support without shame or fear. To mark our seventh anniversary at the same moment that Nigeria is taking such an important step towards decriminalising attempted suicide is profoundly significant for our entire community of trustees, staff, volunteers, partners and supporters.”

Asido Foundation called for sustained collaboration between the Federal and State Governments, legislators, health institutions, civil society, professional bodies, communities and the private sector to strengthen suicide-prevention services and expand access to mental healthcare across Nigeria. There is still work to be done in terms of ensuring that the Mental Health Act is legislatively amended to include decriminalisation of attempted suicide, as well as ensuring that the relevant clauses in both the penal and criminal codes are repealed at state levels too. Beyond amending the Mental Health Act also lies the knotty issue of effective implementation of the Act, and the Foundation calls on the Federal Ministry of Health as well as all stakeholders to sustain the efforts at ensuring effective implementation.

Olowola paid tribute to the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, Professor Abdulmalik (CEO/Founder), Dr Gbonjubola Abiri (COO), the Foundation’s staff, regional coordinators, volunteers, partners and supporters, describing the seventh anniversary as an opportunity to recognise the institutional commitment that had sustained Asido’s mission.

The Asido Foundation reaffirmed its commitment to working with government and other stakeholders towards the Federal Government’s 2030 suicide-reduction ambition and the successful implementation of the Mental Health Act towards a Nigeria in which mental healthcare is increasingly accessible, humane and grounded in dignity.

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