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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives has decried the effects of drug abuse and trafficking in the country, saying it has reached an alarming proportion.
Chairman, House Ad-hoc Drugs, Trafficking, Alcohol and Tobacco Abuse, Oluwatimehin Adelegbe, while speaking at the commencement of a probe into rising cases of drug abuse in the country, said it is a threat to the country.
This is as the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) said the scale of drug use in Nigeria is far above the global average.
Adelegbe explained that the probe is intended to unravel the systemic failures responsible for the development, so as to be able to proffer lasting solutions.
According to him, the national reality that cannot be ignored is that cannabis is smoked freely in the street like cigarettes while the use of methamphetamine is spreading across the nation at an alarming rate.
He added that codeine-based cough syrups are sold freely like soft drinks, noting that tobacco companies were exploiting loopholes to target minors through flavours, informal retail channels, and deceptive marketing. “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.
“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.”
Furthermore, the lawmaker stated that “entire communities have been crippled by addiction, crime, and preventable deaths. Nigeria is losing too many lives, too many futures, too many families. “As lawmakers, we must rise to the responsibility placed upon us, the Nigerian people expect answers, solutions, and firm action not excuses. Let it be emphasised that this investigation is not anti-business or witch-hunt, but an accountability session. “We support industries, we value investors, and we welcome innovation, but No business model can be allowed to thrive at the expense of Nigerian lives. No profit margin can justify the destruction of our youth.
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“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.”
UNODC, in a memorandum presented to the committee by its National Project Officer Law enforcement, Femi Ajayi said findings from a Nigeria Drug Use Survey 2018 conducted in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the European Union (EU) indicated that 14.4 percent of Nigerians aged 15 to 64 years use drugs.
“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 percent of the global population aged 15 to 64.
“The report said the number of cannabis users worldwide had increased by 34 per cent over the past decade, and that cannabis remained the main drug of concern for 32 per cent of people in treatment in Africa.
“On opioids, the report estimated that 61 million people used opioids worldwide in 2023, representing 1.2 per cent of the global population, adding that opioids remained the most lethal group of drugs, responsible for about two-thirds of drug-related deaths, mainly from overdoses.”
According to the UN agency, combating drug menace in the country requires a pragmatic and data driven approach as well as legislative reforms.
“To address drug abuse and trafficking in Nigeria, the report recommended a pragmatic, humane and data-driven approach, balancing intelligence-led law enforcement with expanded prevention, treatment and harm-reduction services.
“Key policy recommendations included legislative reforms, decriminalisation of possession for personal use with defined thresholds, institutionalisation of harm-reduction strategies, strengthened asset forfeiture and financial investigations, modernised chemical and precursor controls, and the adoption of alternatives to incarceration for low-level, non-violent drug offences.
“The report said such measures would help reduce trafficking flows, expand access to treatment, lower overdose and HIV rates, and strengthen Nigeria’s response to drug abuse and organised criminal networks,” UNODC stated.
