The House of Representatives on Tuesday suspended investigation into the worsening drug abuse crisis in Nigeria with a view to stopping the growing menace threatening public health and national security.
Speaking in Abuja, the Chairman of the Special Committee on Drugs, Trafficking, Alcohol and Tobacco Abuse, Hon. Oluwatimehin Adelegbe, warned that drug abuse poses a serious 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 robbing our youth of their health, weakening our workforce, destabilizing our communities, and undermining our collective future.”
Honorable. Adelegbe stated that the national reality cannot continue to be ignored and pointed out that cannabis is smoked freely in the streets as if it were cigarettes, methamphetamine consumption is spreading throughout the country at an alarming rate, while codeine-based cough syrups are sold almost like soft drinks.
He added that Tramadol 200 mg is trafficked with the same level of coordination as strong narcotics, while cheap and dangerous alcoholic concoctions are destroying young men and women in parks, campuses and markets across the country.
The lawmaker further alleged that tobacco companies continue to exploit regulatory loopholes to target minors through flavored products, informal retail channels and deceptive marketing practices.
He also denounced the rampant entry of substandard pharmaceuticals, fake liquor and unregistered products into Nigerian markets, blaming weak law enforcement at ports, airports and land borders, which he said are routinely exploited by trafficking syndicates.
“Entire communities have been paralyzed by addiction, crime and preventable deaths. Nigeria is losing too many lives, too many futures, too many families,” he said.
“As legislators, we must live up to the responsibility placed on us. The Nigerian people expect firm answers, solutions and actions, not excuses.”
Honorable. Adelegbe emphasized that the investigation was neither anti-business nor a witch hunt, but rather an accountability exercise aimed at protecting public health and national security.
“We support industries, value investors and welcome innovation. However, no business model can be allowed to prosper at the expense of the lives of Nigerians. No profit margin can justify the destruction of our youth.
“No corporate actor will be allowed to hide behind compliance rhetoric while fueling an epidemic of addiction. Every actor invited here is a partner in protecting Nigeria, and their cooperation is not only expected but required,” he said.
In his presentation, Dr. Femi Ajayi, National Law Enforcement Project Officer of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), raised fresh concerns about the scale of drug consumption in Nigeria, describing the situation as alarming and significantly higher than the global average.
Dr Ajayi cited findings from the 2018 Nigerian Drug Use Survey, conducted in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the European Union, which indicated that 14.4 per cent of Nigerians aged between 15 and 64 use drugs.
According to the survey, cannabis was identified as the most widely used drug, with approximately 10.6 million users, followed by about seven million users of pharmaceutical opioids, including tramadol and codeine-based cough syrups.
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The survey further revealed that almost three million Nigerians suffer from drug use disorders that require medical counseling or 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 people receiving treatment is female, indicating that stigma and access barriers continue to limit women’s ability to seek care.
A UNODC official also warned that projections contained in the report indicated that drug use in Africa could increase by 40 percent by 2030.
According to the agency, this could translate into more than 20 million drug users in Nigeria alone, posing what it described as an extreme challenge to public health and safety.
The main findings of the UNODC World Drug Report 2025, published in June 2025, also identified cannabis as the most consumed drug globally, with an estimated 244 million people, representing 4.6 percent of the world’s population aged 15 to 64, using it in 2023.
The report noted that global cannabis use has increased by 34 percent over the past decade and remains the top drug of concern for 32 percent of people in treatment in Africa.
Globally, cannabis is estimated to account for 42 percent of drug use disorder cases, while opioids remain the most lethal group of drugs, responsible for around 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-based law enforcement with expanded prevention, treatment and harm reduction services.
Key policy recommendations include legislative reforms, decriminalization of possession for personal use within defined thresholds, institutionalization of harm reduction strategies, strengthening financial and asset forfeiture investigations, modernized controls on chemicals and precursors, and alternatives to incarceration for low-level, nonviolent drug offenses.
According to the Agency, these measures would help reduce trafficking flows, expand access to treatment, reduce overdose and HIV rates and strengthen Nigeria’s response to organized criminal networks.
Also in a memorandum, the 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 measures taken by the House committee and committed to providing additional technical information needed to formulate a more robust national drug control strategy under the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP).
NDLEA highlighted the need to strengthen legislation, improve regulation, improve treatment systems and increase operational resources to significantly boost Nigeria’s capacity to combat drug trafficking and safeguard public health.