Nigeria’s silent epidemic: Drug abuse and the future at risk

By Austine Agbo Emmanuel, Kaduna

A silent yet devastating epidemic continues to spread across Nigeria, undermining the nation’s most valuable resource: its youthful population. Drug abuse, once considered a peripheral issue in policy discussions, has now become a national emergency that threatens the core of Nigeria’s development potential.

Recent statistics from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reveal a deeply worrying trend. Around 14.3 million Nigerians, aged between 15 and 64, are engaged in drug abuse, representing approximately 14.4 percent of the country’s adult population. This figure is nearly three times the global average of 5.6 percent, underscoring the severity of the crisis. Even more concerning is that one in four drug users in Nigeria is female, and one in five suffers from drug use disorder that requires urgent medical treatment.

Further insights from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) provide an even clearer picture of the expanding crisis. According to NDLEA Chairman and CEO, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), more than three million people in the North-West region alone are affected by drug abuse, with Kano State leading the way. Data from individual states reveals Kano’s prevalence rate at 16.0 percent, equating to approximately 1.07 million users.

Zamfara follows closely at 13.5 percent, with 312,000 users, while Kebbi stands at 12.6 percent, with 286,000 users. In Katsina, 12.0 percent of the population are users, amounting to 481,000 individuals, while Kaduna reports 10.0 percent at 462,000 users. Other states like Sokoto and Jigawa also show significant numbers, with Sokoto at 9.0 percent (230,000 users) and Jigawa at 7.0 percent (211,000 users).

In the past four years, the NDLEA has made over 57,792 arrests and seized nearly 9.9 million kilograms of illicit drugs, signalling intensified efforts to combat drug trafficking. However, despite these successes in tackling the supply side, the scale of addiction suggests that enforcement alone cannot curb the epidemic.

Across the northern regions, particularly Kano, Kaduna, and Katsina, the abuse of codeine-based cough syrups has reached alarming levels. Meanwhile, in the southern part of the country, synthetic drugs such as methamphetamine, known locally as “mkpuru mmiri,” are ravaging communities. In the Middle Belt, the misuse of tramadol and other prescription opioids remains widespread, compounding the public health and security challenges.

The root causes of this epidemic are deeply entrenched in Nigeria’s socio-economic landscape. Unemployment, which stands at approximately 33 percent, has left millions of young people disillusioned. The erosion of traditional family structures, widespread insecurity, poverty, and poor access to education have created an environment where substance abuse flourishes. For many, drugs offer a temporary escape from a life of frustration and despair.

The social consequences are already evident. According to the NDLEA, nearly 30 percent of armed robbery cases and 20 percent of domestic violence incidents are linked to drug abuse. Mental health institutions are overwhelmed by rising cases of drug-induced psychosis, and many communities are experiencing the breakdown of social cohesion.

Nigeria’s rehabilitation infrastructure remains severely inadequate. As of 2022, the country had fewer than 20 government-owned drug rehabilitation centres, a glaring shortage for a population of over 200 million. Private centres, although better equipped, are financially inaccessible for most families. Additionally, the stigma surrounding drug addiction as a moral failing rather than a health issue discourages many from seeking help.

During a recent sensitisation campaign organised by the National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Kaduna, Director-General Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu stressed the need for a collective effort to break the cycle of addiction through community engagement, advocacy, and education. He urged traditional and religious leaders to take on a more active role in promoting rehabilitation and prevention.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, also expressed concern, citing data from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, which revealed that nearly 35 percent of women in Nigeria have experienced some form of domestic violence. In the North-West, this figure rises to 40 percent in Kano, with drug abuse being a significant contributing factor. Tajudeen underscored the interconnectedness of drug abuse with other social challenges, particularly domestic violence.

The government has taken steps to strengthen the NDLEA by increasing funding, providing modern equipment, expanding rehabilitation centres, and enhancing community-based outreach programmes. However, with the scale of the crisis, much more needs to be done.

The media also has a vital role to play. While coverage often focuses on high-profile drug busts and celebrity scandals, there is a pressing need for consistent, investigative journalism that digs deeper into the systemic issues enabling Nigeria’s drug crisis. It is essential to shift towards reporting that captures the human stories behind the statistics and raises awareness of the broader structural problems.

Without urgent and comprehensive action, Nigeria risks producing a generation crippled by substance dependence. Policymakers must make drug abuse prevention a central element of national development, including through expanded public education campaigns, integrating substance abuse awareness into school curricula, creating job opportunities, and improving access to affordable rehabilitation and mental health services.

Nigeria stands at a critical juncture. The choice is clear: confront the drug abuse epidemic with the seriousness it demands, or risk allowing it to derail the nation’s future aspirations. The clock is ticking, and history will not forgive a leadership that failed to protect its youth when it mattered most.