Nigeria's Federal Government has begun the process of decriminalising attempted suicide, according to Channels Television. The development was reported on Thursday, 10 September 2026, a date that coincided with World Suicide Prevention Day.
Punch Newspapers also reported that the government has started the process, while THISDAYLIVE published a piece arguing the conversation should extend beyond decriminalisation alone. The Nation Newspaper, for its part, reported that the police used the occasion of World Suicide Prevention Day to urge Nigerians to check on their loved ones.
The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) has also published an updated position paper on decriminalising attempted suicide, indicating that the debate is being tracked internationally as well as within Nigeria.
Attempted suicide has long been treated as a criminal offence under Nigerian law, meaning people who survive an attempt can face prosecution rather than support. The reporting does not yet detail the specific legal steps the government intends to take, the timeline involved, or which agencies are leading the process.
What to watch next: whether the government publishes a concrete legislative proposal, and how the National Assembly responds to it.