The President of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN), Prof. Taiwo James Obindo, has called for the decriminalization of attempted suicide in the country.
He made this appeal during a stakeholder session organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Specialty Healthcare to discuss the prioritization and implementation of the Mental Health Act.
Obindo criticized the establishment of National Counseling Centers as premature given that attempted suicide remains a criminal offense under both the Criminal Act and the Penal Code.
“The first step would be a move to decriminalize attempted suicide. Criminalizing attempted suicide has proven to be a major barrier for suicide prevention intervention service uptake,” he stated.
He explained that the current law, inherited from colonial rule, fails to address the underlying thoughts and social determinants of suicide.
He noted that significant evidence shows 90% of individuals who commit suicide have a history of mental health conditions, with 80% attributable to depression.
“Why do we, as a nation, punish individuals who are ill and need medical attention rather than prosecution? Nigeria is lagging behind as many neighboring nations have abrogated that law,” Obindo added.
He also pointed out the risk to counselors under the current law, as it prescribes penalties for those aware of a suicide plan but who do not report it.
Obindo emphasized the need for the effective implementation of the Mental Health Act, which was legislated and signed into law in 2022.
He called for the establishment of a Mental Health Services Department in the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), noting that more than a year after the Act’s passage, the department has yet to be established.
Dr. Alex Egbona, Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Specialty Healthcare, echoed Obindo’s sentiments and called for stakeholder partnerships to address mental health challenges and other related health issues.
Egbona highlighted the committee’s role in providing legislative frameworks for improved healthcare delivery and urged support from all relevant institutions and organizations.
The session aimed to share the committee’s mandate and planned activities, focusing on five thematic areas: Mental Health, Trauma and Obstetrics Fistula, Oral Health and ENT, Blood Transfusion, and Traditional Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
Egbona solicited the collaboration of development partners, international NGOs, and CSOs to enhance the committee’s effectiveness.