Suicide Bill Goes Local: Translated Into Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Pidgin
By TAYO TAIWO (T.T.) OLUWOLE
THE Nigerian Mental Health (NMH) and the Nigeria Suicide Prevention Working Group have translated the National Suicide Prevention Bill into Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, and Pidgin to make it more accessible and foster nationwide engagement.
NMH Founder, Chime Asonye, said the move aligns with the 2025 Suicide Prevention Month theme, “Changing the Narrative,” and aims to decriminalise attempted suicide, provide aftercare for survivors, and establish a National Suicide Prevention Unit with 24-hour crisis helplines.
The bill, which has passed its first reading in the National Assembly, also mandates integrating prevention into healthcare and training professionals. Nigeria currently records about 17.3 suicides per 100,000 annually, with only one psychiatrist per 800,000 people, underscoring the urgency of reform.
Asonye said translating the bill empowers communities to understand, engage, and hold leaders accountable, calling on lawmakers to advance it for second reading by October 2025, ahead of World Mental Health Day.
