Content warning: This article discusses sensitive topics such as suicide that some readers may find distressing.
Nigeria passed a new mental health bill in January 2023. It was a long time coming but there are questions if it does enough to protect those at risk of suicide or self-harm.
The National Mental Health Bill 2021 replaces the Lunacy Act of 1958 which deemed individuals with mental health conditions as dangerous and a threat to themselves and society. That act which bore colonial influences had no clear definition of mental health and failed to meet global policies on mental health and human rights, prescribed seclusion and stripped individuals with mental health conditions of basic human rights.
