Suicide: YPP Vice Presidential Candidate Urges NASS On Mental Health Reforms

Vice-Presidential Candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Ms Patience Key, has called on the National Assembly to prioritise compassionate mental health reforms, economic relief, and public-interest policy delivery.

Key, who is running alongside YPP Presidential Candidate, Dr Peter Agada, said in Abuja that she urged the Senate President, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, to recognise that protecting Nigerians involves addressing the socio-economic conditions pushing citizens into distress, rather than criminalising attempted suicide.

She disagreed with Akpabio’s position during recent legislative debates that attempted suicide should remain a criminal offence under Nigerian law.

She said criminalisation could make distressed people and their families afraid to seek assistance because of prosecution and stigma.

“Protecting Nigerians requires more than debating what punishment should follow a suicide attempt.

“It requires confronting the circumstances that can leave people overwhelmed, economically stranded and unable to obtain the support they need,” she said.

Key noted that severe financial hardship, loss of livelihoods, displacement, isolation, and sudden homelessness contribute significantly to psychological distress.

“Severe financial hardship, loss of livelihoods, violence, displacement and isolation can contribute to profound psychological distress and suicidal crises.

“The World Health Organization recognises financial problems, loss and other difficult life circumstances among the factors associated with suicidal behaviour.

“These are not reasons to stigmatise people. They are reasons to strengthen prevention, treatment and social protection,” she said.

Key said that removing punishment was not an endorsement of suicide; it was a decision to make protection, treatment and recovery the priority.

The YPP vice-presidential candidate also criticised what she described as prolonged delays and endless debates on key public-interest issues, including diaspora voting rights and the rehabilitation of the Ajaokuta Steel Complex.

She questioned why parliamentary attention could easily be mobilised for political discussions about the future while critical legislative, economic, and welfare reforms move at a sluggish pace.

Key noted the constitutional amendment bill on diaspora voting, which passed second reading in the House of Representatives in November 2024, saying that diaspora advocates are still pleading for passage nearly two years later.

She cited the repeated timelines given for the revival of the Ajaokuta Steel project, stressing that citizens deserve credible executive action, transparency, and clear accountability rather than unfulfilled commitments.

Key urged the National Assembly to utilise its legislative, budgetary, and oversight mandates to fund accessible mental health services, sustainable employment programs, enterprise development, and housing safeguards.

“Mental health reform should be accompanied by funding for accessible services, crisis response and continuing care.

“Employment interventions should connect people to sustainable livelihoods.

“Enterprise programmes should help viable businesses overcome practical barriers to growth.

“Housing and planning decisions should respect the dignity of families and provide appropriate safeguards where displacement is contemplated,” she said.

She commended Sen. Asuquo Ekpenyong and other lawmakers for advancing a bill to decriminalise attempted suicide and strengthen mental health support.

Key also advised government not to ignore the circumstances that deepen despair and then approach the person in crisis primarily as an offender.

“This does not mean that hardship inevitably leads to suicidal thoughts, or that every suicide attempt can be attributed to government policy.

“Suicide is complex, and individuals’ circumstances differ. But that complexity is an argument for a comprehensive response — not an excuse to overlook economic and social pressures.

“People experiencing mental health difficulties are not weak, morally deficient or undeserving of dignity,” she said.

She, however, advised citizens to seek mental health care, saying seeking mental health care is a sign of strength and that individual worth is not defined by temporary economic or emotional adversity.

She also urged the electorate to participate peacefully in the upcoming 2027 general elections and thoroughly evaluate candidates across all political platforms based on performance, integrity, and protection of human dignity.