Drug abuse threatens Nigeria’s development, FG warns

The Federal Government has warned that drug abuse and illicit trafficking pose a direct threat to Nigeria’s national development, describing the fight against the menace as a shared responsibility that cannot be left to any single agency or sector.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, represented by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Ibrahim Kana, gave the warning at the National Drug Use Summit, jointly convened by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Abuja on Wednesday.

Speaking on the summit’s theme, “Addressing Illicit Drug Use and Trafficking: A Call to National Action,” Akume said the fight against drugs required a collective national response.

“It is a glaring call to every Nigerian in government and out of government to recognise that the fight against illicit drugs is not the burden of one agency, not the burden of one ministry, not the burden indeed of one sector alone. It is a national responsibility that calls for a national response,” he said.

He noted that drug use and trafficking had grown into major global threats to public health, national security, social cohesion and economic development, and that Nigeria was not immune to these pressures.

“We continue to witness with great concern the devastating toll of substance use disorders on our people, which includes rising cases of mental illness, broken families, interrupted education, unemployment and, of course, crime,” he said.

He identified young Nigerians as the most vulnerable to drug abuse, warning that their exposure to addiction was a threat to the country’s future.

“Their vulnerability to drug abuse and addiction is not merely a personal tragedy for each affected family. It is a direct threat to our national development,” he said.

Akume also raised concern over the growing links between drug trafficking and other organised crimes, including violent extremism, banditry, kidnapping and money laundering, saying such networks “prey upon the vulnerabilities within our communities.”

He stressed that substance use disorders were not merely criminal justice issues but complex health and social challenges requiring coordinated responses.

“No single institution, however capable, can address this problem in isolation. What is required, therefore, is a whole-of-government approach, a whole-of-society approach,” he said, listing families, communities, schools, healthcare providers, security agencies, the private sector, faith-based organisations and civil society as key stakeholders.

He also called for enhanced intelligence sharing and inter-agency collaboration against trafficking, improved research and data systems, and the building of resilient communities capable of responding to drug-related problems.

“No nation can achieve sustainable development when its young population is threatened by drug abuse and addiction,” he said.

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In his welcome address, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), said the summit was convened as a national platform for reflection, dialogue and collective action on the growing burden of drug use and substance use disorders.

He noted that despite the successes recorded by the NDLEA in reducing drug supply and demand in recent years, it had become increasingly clear that no single institution could successfully confront the drug problem in isolation.

“The scale of this challenge demands a whole-of-government and whole-of-society response, one that mobilises every stakeholder: government institutions, communities, families, development partners, the private sector, religious and traditional leaders, civil society and the media.

“This summit is therefore both timely and necessary. It aligns with the global call to confront persisting drug challenges with innovative, collaborative responses, and it offers us a unique opportunity to build consensus around a coordinated National Action Plan, one that strengthens prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, data collection, policy implementation and community resilience,” he added.

“Over the years, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has remained steadfast in its mandate to combat this menace through a balanced and comprehensive approach.

“On the supply reduction front, the agency has recorded significant successes in drug seizures, arrests, convictions and the dismantling of trafficking networks. Our operational feats in the last 18 months alone speak to this: a total of 29,262 arrests, leading to the seizure of 5,305,484.88 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs valued at over N1.5 trillion, and the conviction of 5,225 offenders.

“We have broadened access to counselling, treatment and rehabilitation services while advancing preventive interventions such as our school-based Non-Punitive Drug Testing Policy. Within the same period of 18 months, we have conducted 6,645 drug use prevention-focused sensitisation and awareness programmes in schools, worship centres, workplaces, markets, motor parks, communities and correctional facilities, among others, equipping nearly five million Nigerians with the life skills to resist drug abuse. Equally significant is the counselling, treatment and rehabilitation of 13,508 drug users across our 31 rehabilitation centres spread across the country.

“Worthy of particular note, too, is the launch of the Alternative Development Initiative for Cannabis sativa growers, designed to support their transition from illicit cultivation to cash crop production and other sustainable livelihoods.”

He expressed confidence that through partnership, shared responsibility and sustained commitment, Nigeria could significantly reduce the burden of drug use and build a healthier, safer and more prosperous nation.

In his remarks, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, urged that the summit must not end as a talk shop.

“The measure of this summit will not be the communiqué. It will be the number of young people who choose not to start drugs. It will be the number of patients who sleep without pain. It will be the number of families restored. The Federal Ministry of Health stands ready to lead, to coordinate, to collaborate and to deliver.”

Also speaking, the Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Cheikh Toure, represented by Dr. Akanidomo Ibanga, commended the strong collaboration across ministries, agencies, civil society, the private sector and development partners, adding that the gathering was a powerful demonstration of Nigeria’s commitment to addressing the drug challenge in a coordinated and forward-looking manner.

According to him, “As the United Nations, we stand here today not as individual agencies, but as one system—united in our support to Nigeria. The UN family is working collectively to support a comprehensive, balanced and evidence-based response. We meet at a critical time.”