As Honorary Global Patron of LifeLine International, I am deeply encouraged, on this World Mental Health Day, by the substantive progress being made across Nigeria to strengthen national mental health systems, advance evidence-based legislative reform, and expand equitable access to quality crisis-support services.

Following 2023 Launch of the Nigeria Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s National Suicide Prevention Framework and Technical Working Group inauguration, supported by the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, and FMHSW CTC partner organisations, Nigeria is advancing a historic national effort to decriminalise attempted suicide and establish a comprehensive framework for suicide prevention and psychosocial care, through the leadership of Professor Taiwo Lateef Sheikh, Africa Representative for LifeLine International, Board Member of the Asido Foundation, and the dedicated members of the Nigeria Suicide Prevention Advocacy Working Group (NSPAWG), a coalition of psychiatrists, mental health practitioners, legal experts, civil society organisations, and advocates.

The National Suicide Prevention and Decriminalization of Attempted Suicide Bill, sponsored by Distinguished Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, Chair of the Senate Committee on NDDC and representing Cross River South, has passed its first reading in the Senate, marking a profound shift from punishment to compassion, from stigma to support. Significantly, the Bill has been translated into Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, and Pidgin English, ensuring that its purpose and protection reach communities across all regions.

With an estimated 16,000 suicide deaths recorded annually in Nigeria, predominantly among those aged 15 to 29 years, the legislation constitutes a strategic public-health reform, shifting national response from sanction to structured prevention and service delivery.

I commend Senator Ekpenyong, Professor Taiwo Lateef Sheikh, Professor Jibril Abdulmalik, and every member of the LifeLine International Nigeria network and coalition for their continued work and advocacy, as we continue to uphold the principle that there is no health without mental health.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Toyin Saraki (@toyinsaraki)