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From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa, disclosed that in 2019, Nigeria was the highest consumer of cannabis in the world with over 10.6 million users.
Speaking at the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) 40th Annual Olumide Memorial Lecture in Abuja, Marwa explained that the figure is more than the entire population of Portugal or the United Arab Emirates.
Worse still, he stated that the country’s drug use prevalence of 14.4 per cent is one of the highest in the world compared to the global average of 5.6 per cent.
“They have implications. They have accompanying problems which if left unattended to will in a matter of few years snowball into a big problem that may become an overwhelming albatross capable of undermining meaningful national development” he said.
So far, over 35 million people are suffering from drug use disorder and this has a dire implication for the national development of countries, especially third-world countries like Nigeria.
“What is most alarming, however, is the growing illusion propagated by some activists and politicians that our country can achieve some economic growth by cashing in on the global cannabis market which is projected to be worth $103.9 billion by 2024. In recent years, they have canvassed for the legalisation of the cultivation of cannabis sativa as the magic bullet for Nigeria’s economic growth. Their argument references some western countries that have decriminalised the use of cannabis or cannabis derivatives and other countries that are making economic gains from the cultivation and exportation of cannabis. In the end, the crux of their argument is narco-dollar revenue for the country.
“Unfortunately, they often fail to also speak the truth about the drug problems those countries have on their hands as well as the human and material costs of the problems” Marwa argued.
Meanwhile, the economic cost of drug abuse in 2007 was estimated at $193 billion and lost productivity accounted for $120 billion while $11 billion was spent on healthcare–for drug treatment and drug‐related medical consequences.
“For example, in 2007, the economic cost of drug abuse in the United States was estimated at $193 billion. Out of this, lost productivity accounted for $120 billion; this was mainly due to labour participation costs, participation in drug‐ abuse treatment, incarceration, and premature death. On the other hand, $11 billion was spent on healthcare–for drug treatment and drug‐related medical consequences. And finally, the sum of $61 billion was spent on criminal justice, primarily for criminal investigation, prosecution and incarceration, and victim costs” he submitted.
The NDLEA chairman also recalled the devastating effect of methamphetamine called ‘Mkpuru Mmiri’ across the states in the South Eastern part of Nigeria in the last quarter of 2021 adding that the situation undermined development and caused instability.
“This country still remembers the episodic outbreak of methamphetamine called Mkpuru Mmiri across states in the South East region in the last quarter of 2021. For three months, Nigerians had a foretaste of the kind of upheaval that abuse of methamphetamine can cause in society. We have ample evidence and real-life experience to know that the result of abuse of illicit substances is instability―and there cannot be meaningful development where you have chaos and instability” Marwa who was the former Lagos State military administrator, said.
In his remarks, the president of NIS, Dr Kayode Oluwamotemi extolled the virtues of the late Surveyor Cyprian Theodosius Olumide whose efforts led to the formation of the institution.
