The House of Representatives on Tuesday flagged off investigation into Nigeria’s worsening drug abuse crisis with a view to halt the growing menace threatening public health and national security.
Speaking in Abuja, Chairman, Ad-hoc Committee on Drugs, Trafficking, Alcohol and Tobacco Abuse, Hon. Oluwatimehin Adelegbe, warned that drug abuse poses a grave threat to the soul of the nation.
He said: “Today, we gather under the mandate of the Nigerian people and under the solemn weight of a national emergency that threatens the soul of our country,” he said
“Substance abuse, illicit drug trafficking, unregulated pharmaceutical distribution, predatory alcohol marketing, and aggressive tobacco promotion have converged into a dangerous crisis.
“This crisis is stealing the health of our youth, weakening our labour force, destabilising our communities, and undermining our collective future.”
Hon. Adelegbe said the national reality could no longer be ignored, noting that cannabis is smoked freely on the streets like cigarettes, methamphetamine use is spreading across the country at an alarming rate, while codeine-based cough syrups are sold almost like soft drinks.
He added that tramadol 200mg is trafficked with the same level of coordination as hard narcotics, while cheap and hazardous alcoholic mixtures are destroying young men and women in motor parks, campuses, and marketplaces nationwide.
The lawmaker further alleged that tobacco companies continue to exploit regulatory loopholes to target minors through flavoured products, informal retail channels, and deceptive marketing practices.
He also decried the unchecked influx of substandard pharmaceuticals, fake spirits, and unregistered products into Nigerian markets, blaming weak enforcement at ports, airports, and land borders, which he said are routinely exploited by trafficking syndicates.
“Entire communities have been crippled by addiction, crime, and preventable deaths. Nigeria is losing too many lives, too many futures, too many families,” he said.
“As lawmakers, we must rise to the responsibility placed upon us. The Nigerian people expect answers, solutions, and firm action not excuses.”
Hon. Adelegbe stressed that the investigation was neither anti-business nor a witch-hunt, but an accountability exercise aimed at protecting public health and national security.
“We support industries, we value investors, and we welcome innovation. However, no business model can be allowed to thrive at the expense of Nigerian lives. No profit margin can justify the destruction of our youth.
“No corporate actor will be permitted to hide behind compliance rhetoric while fuelling an addiction epidemic. Every stakeholder invited here is a partner in protecting Nigeria, and your cooperation is not only expected but required,” he said.
In his presentation, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) National Project Officer Law Enforcement, Dr. Femi Ajayi raised fresh concerns over the scale of drug use in Nigeria, describing the situation as alarming and significantly above the global average.
Dr. Ajayi cited findings from the 2018 Nigeria Drug Use Survey, conducted in collaboration with National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and European Union, indicated that 14.4 percent of Nigerians aged between 15 and 64 years use drugs.
According to the survey, cannabis was identified as the most commonly used drug, with an estimated 10.6 million users, followed by about seven million users of pharmaceutical opioids, including tramadol and codeine-based cough syrups.
ALSO READ: Reps probe Dangote, NMDPRA rift over arbitrary grant of importation licence
The survey further revealed that nearly three million Nigerians suffer from drug use disorders requiring counselling or medical treatment.
The report highlighted a disproportionate impact on Women and Girls, noting that while one in four drug users is female, only one in 20 persons receiving treatment is a woman an indication that stigma and barriers to access continue to limit women’s ability to seek care.
UNODC officer also warned that projections contained in the report indicated that drug use in Africa could rise by 40 percent by 2030.
According to the agency, this could translate to more than 20 million drug users in Nigeria alone, posing what it described as an extreme challenge to public health and public security.
Key findings from the UNODC 2025 World Drug Report, published in June 2025, also identified cannabis as the most widely used drug globally, with an estimated 244 million people using it in 2023 — representing 4.6 per cent of the global population aged 15 to 64.
The report noted that global cannabis use has increased by 34 per cent over the past decade and remains the primary drug of concern for 32 per cent of people in treatment in Africa.
Globally, cannabis accounts for an estimated 42 per cent of drug use disorder cases, while opioids remain the most lethal group of drugs, responsible for about two-thirds of drug-related deaths worldwide, mainly due to overdoses.
To address drug abuse and trafficking in Nigeria, UNODC recommended a pragmatic, humane, and data-driven approach that balances intelligence-led law enforcement with expanded prevention, treatment, and harm-reduction services.
Key policy recommendations include legislative reforms, decriminalisation of possession for personal use within defined thresholds, institutionalisation of harm-reduction strategies, strengthened asset forfeiture and financial investigations, modernised chemical and precursor controls, and alternatives to incarceration for low-level, non-violent drug offences.
According to the Agency, these measures would help reduce trafficking flows, expand access to treatment, lower overdose and HIV rates, and strengthen Nigeria’s response to organised criminal networks.
Also in a memorandum, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) reiterated its unwavering commitment to protecting Nigeria from the threats posed by illicit drugs and substance abuse.
The agency commended the proactive steps taken by the House committee and pledged to provide additional technical input required for formulating a stronger national drug control strategy under the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP).
NDLEA stressed the need to strengthen legislation, improve regulation, enhance treatment systems, and increase operational resources to significantly boost Nigeria’s capacity to combat drug trafficking and safeguard public health.
Kehinde Akintola
Read More