By Becky Momodu
Nigeria records more than 7,000 suicide deaths and an estimated 300,000 suicide attempts annually, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) has disclosed, as it backed the Federal Government’s move to decriminalise attempted suicide.
Dr. Akanmu Mujitaba, Mental Health Programme Manager at CHAI Nigeria, disclosed this in Abuja during the commemoration of the 2026 World Suicide Prevention Day.
Mujitaba said suicide remains a significant public health concern globally, with more than 700,000 people dying by suicide every year, over 70 per cent of them in low- and middle-income countries.
He said the figures represented families and communities devastated by loss, stressing that suicide could be prevented when effective systems, sound policies and compassion worked together.
Mujitaba commended the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the National Mental Health Programme for advancing the decriminalisation of attempted suicide.
He described the Federal Executive Council’s approval of the Ministry’s position as “a beginning” and urged the government to ensure that the reform progresses to full legislative passage without delay.
He also reaffirmed CHAI’s continued support for Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen mental health and suicide prevention.
World Suicide Prevention Day is observed annually on September 10 to raise awareness about suicide prevention and promote collective action to reduce suicide and suicidal behaviour globally.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare had announced that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved its position to decriminalise attempted suicide in Nigeria, paving the way for the proposed reform to proceed to the National Assembly.
