By Ghazali Ibrahim
The Federal Government has begun moves to decriminalise attempted suicide in Nigeria following approval of the proposal by the Federal Executive Council.
The development was announced by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation on Thursday, September 10, 2026.
The proposed reform would remove the criminal punishment attached to attempts to take one’s own life and shift the response towards support and intervention rather than prosecution.
Under the existing Criminal Code, a person who attempts to kill himself is guilty of a misdemeanour and may be sentenced to up to one year in prison.
The government’s move therefore marks a significant shift in Nigeria’s approach to suicide attempts, which have traditionally been treated as a criminal matter.
The proposal will still have to go through the necessary legal process before attempted suicide is formally removed as a criminal offence.
