ABUJA, Nigeria – Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, representing Cross River South Senatorial District, has called for urgent legislative action to address Nigeria’s rising suicide rates, citing World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates of 16,000 deaths annually.
Speaking in Abuja on Sunday while receiving members of the Suicide Prevention Advocacy Working Group — a coalition of psychiatrists, lawyers, civil society organisations, and mental health advocates — the senator reaffirmed his commitment to advancing the Suicide Prevention Bill, which scaled its first reading in February.
The bill seeks to decriminalise attempted suicide and provide a framework for prevention, service delivery, helplines, and training for mental health practitioners.
“Depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions affect millions of Nigerians, yet they are poorly understood and rarely prioritised,” Ekpenyong said, stressing that suicide prevention requires government commitment, education, and sensitisation.
Coalition leader Dr Taiwo Sheikh, continental representative of LifeLine International, warned that criminalising attempted suicide discouraged help-seeking. “When you criminalise attempted suicide, you stigmatise people who are already vulnerable,” he said.
Executive Director of The Sunshine Series, Aisha Bubah, added: “For every recorded suicide, there are at least 20 attempts. Every delay in passing this bill means more lives lost.”
