There is need for policies that will ensure stricter opioid prescription regulation and enhanced border surveillance to curb trafficking. Non-governmental organisations, traditional institutions, and religious leaders play an important role in framing public awareness campaigns using context-specific communication channels. Increased job creation could help engage the youth meaningfully and address the economic factors fuelling drug use.
The consumption of illicit drugs in West Africa is increasing at an alarming rate. Nigeria is said to be a significant transit, source and destination market for illicit drugs, according to the Global Organised Crime Index. The country serves as a destination and transhipment hub from where criminal groups, in collaboration with cartels based in Pakistan and Afghanistan, contribute to coordinate the transhipment of cocaine. States like Edo and Kano serve as centres from where illicit drugs are ferried through African trade routes onwards to Europe and other parts of the world. The abuse of prescription drugs like opioids – morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, tramadol – among others are widespread. Evidence has emerged of the large scale manufacturing of synthetic methamphetamine in Nigeria for onward distribution to places like South Africa and Asia.
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Cannabis Is Produced and Widely Consumed in Nigeria
Nigerians act as regional producers and exporters of cannabis across the world, enabled by porous borders, with the collusion of corrupt law enforcement and transitional criminal networks. An estimated 8,900 hectares of cannabis were found across six states, according to a survey in 2019. About 20.8 million consumers of cannabis are found in the country, according to available report. Although its production and consumption are illegal, cannabis farming is said to be a lucrative business. Ondo State is believed to be a hotbed where farmers use cocoa farming as a cover for the cultivation of cannabis.
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States in southern Nigeria, especially the South-West –Oyo, Ondo, Osun, Edo and Delta – grow a significant percentage of cannabis used in West Africa, although some originate from Ghana. In 2022, 255 hectares of farmland used for the cultivation of cannabis was destroyed in Ondo State by law enforcement agents. Another 50 hectares of farmland, as well as 17 tons of cannabis, was destroyed last year in Edo State.
In 2023, the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) seized opioids worth £2.7 million from a warehouse in Lagos. High doses of opioids formulated into various dangerous cocktails are specially packaged as legitimate medication and sold on the streets. Easy access to these drugs means that many young people turn to them as a coping mechanism for stress and social pressure.
Opioid Addiction is Widespread With Supplies from India
Growing addiction to opioids among the youth has made supplying it a lucrative business. Although currently prohibited in Nigeria, regular supplies are received from India through smuggling from neighbouring countries like Ghana, Benin and Niger. As of 2019, the prevalence of opioid use in Nigeria was 14.4 per cent and might have doubled, while 36.2 per cent of the youth in Ghana use tramadol. The alarming rate of use in Nigeria is now a pandemic that constitutes a threat to health and social stability.
In 2023, the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) seized opioids worth £2.7 million from a warehouse in Lagos. High doses of opioids formulated into various dangerous cocktails are specially packaged as legitimate medication and sold on the streets. Easy access to these drugs means that many young people turn to them as a coping mechanism for stress and social pressure. Consumption of tramadol is linked to the high prevalence of HIV, as well as unwanted pregnancy and suicide. The tramadol economy is damaging health and destroying the potentials of the youth.
Violent non-state Actors are Both Consumers and Couriers
Violent non-state actors operating in Nigeria, especially in the North, help in transiting cocaine and other illicit drugs to consumer markets. Studies have implicated the use of illicit drugs in the spread of banditry in Nigeria. Kidnappers and bandits are said to be big consumers of illicit drugs. They reportedly demand these as part of ransom payments for the release of their hostages. A United Nations report revealed that revenue generated from trafficking cocaine is re-invested in funding armed groups and financing violence, especially along the Sahel region. The profits from illicit drug trade are used to fund other forms of criminal operations, including buying firearms and financing terrorism.
The prosecution of offenders will be helpful, including the seizure of their assets and other proceeds of crime. Nigeria’s weak and corrupt criminal justice system has been a barrier to progress. Last year, the Nigerian Senate recommended the death penalty for any drug offender, which was later modified to a life sentence.
Coordinated Law Enforcement, Education and Punishment Will Help
There is need for policies that will ensure stricter opioid prescription regulation and enhanced border surveillance to curb trafficking. Non-governmental organisations, traditional institutions, and religious leaders play an important role in framing public awareness campaigns using context-specific communication channels. Increased job creation could help engage the youth meaningfully and address the economic factors fuelling drug use.
The prosecution of offenders will be helpful, including the seizure of their assets and other proceeds of crime. Nigeria’s weak and corrupt criminal justice system has been a barrier to progress. Last year, the Nigerian Senate recommended the death penalty for any drug offender, which was later modified to a life sentence. Furthermore, beyond enacting stronger legislation, a framework for better coordination among relevant law enforcement agencies with an emphasis on demand reduction and the suppression of supply is crucial.
Uche Igwe is a visiting professor at Polish Centre for African Studies in Wroclaw, Poland. He can be reached on [email protected]
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