By Abdul Lauya
In a landmark move, Slovenia has joined the ranks of countries that allow assisted dying for terminally ill patients, sparking fresh conversations globally, including in Nigeria, on the ethics, legality, and readiness for such sensitive legislation.
Slovenia’s parliament, on Thursday, July 17, 2025 passed a law legalizing assisted dying for terminally ill adults enduring unbearable, untreatable physical suffering.
The bill, passed by 50 votes to 34 with 3 abstentions, follows a non-binding referendum in June 2024 where 55% of Slovenians expressed support for such a measure.
The new law allows adults deemed medically competent and terminally ill, with no reasonable hope of recovery, to voluntarily end their lives through medically assisted procedures. Mental illness is excluded as a qualifying condition.
The law includes strict medical oversight and documentation, including mandatory evaluation by multiple physicians.
Implementation is expected in the coming months, pending final guidelines and infrastructure readiness.
While the Slovenian model mirrors those in countries like Belgium, Canada, and New Zealand, the debate it reignites elsewhere, including Nigeria, is both ethical and institutional.
In Nigeria, euthanasia and assisted suicide remain illegal and morally contentious.
The Criminal Code and Penal Code criminalize any form of suicide assistance, and prevailing religious and cultural sentiments treat life as inviolable.
The nation’s two dominant religions, Christianity and Islam, staunchly oppose any form of mercy killing.
But as medical advancements prolong life, sometimes without quality, some ethicists and health professionals in Nigeria argue that a national conversation may be inevitable in the future.
“Palliative care remains underdeveloped in many parts of the country. Before we talk about assisted dying, we must first guarantee dignified living and dying conditions,” said Dr. Ifeoma Okonkwo, a Lagos-based palliative care physician.
“We can’t talk about ending suffering by death when people can’t access pain relief or emotional support.”
Nigeria’s National Health Act and patients’ rights charters emphasize patient dignity and informed consent but remain silent on end-of-life autonomy.
Political will, legal reforms, and public awareness would be prerequisites for any serious conversation about assisted dying.
Some observers warn that without institutional safeguards and ethical frameworks, legalizing assisted dying in Nigeria could be open to abuse.
In a country still grappling with fragile healthcare oversight, such a law, if enacted prematurely, could do more harm than good.
For now, Slovenia’s decision may serve more as a global case study than a blueprint for immediate adoption in Nigeria.
Still, in a world where medical ethics, autonomy, and dignity are evolving, the question remains: how long before Nigeria begins its own debate?
