On June 26 each year, the world observes the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, established by the UN in 1989 to promote strong global action. The theme for 2025 – “Breaking the Chains: Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery for All” – calls upon nations to address not just individual addiction, but also the broader networks that fuel it. This urgent call resonates strongly in Nigeria, where drug abuse is already deeply ingrained in society.
Surging Drug Use Across the Globe
A 2024 UNODC report reveals a striking global rise in illicit drug use, with 292 million users in 2022—a nearly 20% increase over a decade. Cannabis remains the most widely used drug (228 million), followed by opioids (60 million), amphetamines (30 million), cocaine (23 million), and ecstasy (20 million). Alarmingly, approximately 64 million people suffer from substance use disorders, yet only one in eleven receive treatment—highlighting a dramatic global shortfall in care.
Nigeria’s Domestic Epidemic
In Nigeria, the crisis runs deep. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) estimates that up to 14 million Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 64 are addicted to hard drugs—around 14% of that age group. Drug misuse increasingly penetrates not just urban hubs but also rural communities. Codeine-based cough syrups, tramadol, marijuana, methamphetamine (“mkpurummiri”), nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”), and even cocaine are becoming all too common.
Youth: The Harbingers of a Troubled Generation
Several forces converge to pull Nigerian youth into substance abuse:
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High unemployment—with over 8.6% jobless—leaves many without direction or purpose.
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Family instability and poor mental health services create emotional voids that push youths toward destructive coping mechanisms.
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Media and entertainment, including social platforms and pop culture, too often glamorize drugs—normalizing use in songs, films, and online trends.
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Drugs are now widely available at parties and informal gatherings in cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, and are showing up even in secondary schools, collegiate settings, and artisan markets.
These dynamics illustrate an increasingly disturbing trend: drug use now cuts across age, education, and socioeconomic status.
Devastating Social and Health Effects
The impact of drug abuse extends far beyond personal health—it reaches into societal well‑being:
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Educational disruption: addiction leads many students to drop out.
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Criminal behavior: increased violence, theft, and social unrest.
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Health crises: substance abuse fuels the spread of STDs, overdoses, mental disorders, and suicide.
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Brain damage: studies from the International Neuropsychiatric Disease Journal link addiction to substantive structural changes in the brain.
Hospitals across Nigeria now report surging cases of depression, anxiety, substance-induced psychosis, overdose-related fatalities, and complications arising from intravenous drug use.
Enforcement Efforts: Arrests and Seizures
Between 2021 and early 2025, NDLEA took decisive action:
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Arresting 62,595 suspects,
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Prosecuting 11,628 offenders,
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Seizing over 10 million kilograms of drugs,
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Destroying 1,330 hectares of cannabis cultivation,
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Providing counseling or treatment to 24,375 addicts.
This initiative expanded further through a public sensitization drive launched in the Northwestern states, collaborating with agencies like the National Orientation Agency and local authorities.
Healthcare System Underprepared
Despite these interventions, Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure remains ill-equipped:
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Fewer than 400 psychiatrists serve a population over 200 million.
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Mental health facilities are severely under-resourced, often relegated to faith-based clinics or informal settings.
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Addiction treatment centers remain scarce, especially in rural areas, leaving many with no access to recovery pathways.
A Roadmap for Nigeria’s Response
To truly “break the chains,” Nigeria must go beyond rhetoric and bolster efforts in core areas:
1. Education and Awareness
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Integrate drug education into school and tertiary curricula.
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Launch broad-based awareness campaigns via TV, radio, print, and social media—highlighting drug risks and available support.
2. Community Engagement
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Mobilize religious leaders, traditional chiefs, celebrities, and parents to champion mental wellness and drug-free lifestyles.
3. Intensive Law Enforcement
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Disrupt trafficking rings and shut down unlicensed vendors.
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Increase penalties for production, distribution, and sale of illicit substances.
4. Youth Empowerment
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Develop youth-targeted job schemes and entrepreneurship grants.
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Fill skill and technology gaps with vocational training, helping keep young people productively engaged.
5. Health & Rehabilitation Infrastructure
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Expand rehab centers nationwide, especially in rural locations.
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Train and recruit mental health professionals.
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Embed substance abuse services into primary healthcare, including in remote zones.
6. Private Sector & Donor Collaboration
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Seek partnerships with NGOs, global health agencies, and faith-based groups to support rehab efforts and build local capacities.
Moving from Symbolism to Substance
Nigeria risks losing a generation unless it replaces symbolic gestures with tangible progress. Breaking the chains means more than raising flags—it demands decisive investment, enforcement, care, and innovation. Every day that policymakers delay alternate realities—missing are the many lives undone daily by addiction and the families left behind.
As the 2025 International Day Against Drug Abuse calls for prevention, treatment, and recovery for all, Nigerian leaders must act – today, and every day thereafter.
