FG Unveils New Strategy To Combat Drug Abuse

The Federal Government has unveiled a new strategy to combat drug abuse, combining stricter control measures with expanded prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, while improving access to essential medicines for patients with legitimate medical needs.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Pate, disclosed this in a keynote address delivered on his behalf by the Director of Food and Drug Services, Mrs Olufowobi-Adeola, at the Maiden National Drug Use Summit in Abuja.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by the ministry’s spokesperson, Ado Bako, Pate described substance abuse as a major public health and development challenge.

He cited the 2018 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) survey, which found that 14.4 per cent of Nigerians aged 15 to 64 had used drugs. He said cannabis remains the most commonly used substance, while the misuse of prescription opioids such as tramadol and codeine, alongside emerging psychoactive substances, continues to increase.

He warned that rising drug misuse poses serious threats to public health, national security and socio-economic development, stressing that the country’s response must extend beyond law enforcement.

Pate said the government would ensure that efforts to curb illicit drug use do not deny patients living with cancer, sickle cell disease, post-surgical pain and other serious medical conditions access to controlled medicines such as morphine and pethidine.

According to him, addiction should be treated as a medical condition requiring evidence-based care rather than stigma or punishment alone.

He also announced plans to expand screening, early intervention and referral services for substance use disorders across primary healthcare centres and general hospitals. The government also plans to increase the number of accredited treatment and rehabilitation centres and train more healthcare workers in medically assisted treatment.

Pate said the ministry would strengthen oversight of the pharmaceutical supply chain by improving warehouse security for narcotic medicines, deploying inventory management systems and intensifying joint inspections with regulatory and enforcement agencies to prevent the diversion of controlled drugs.

He added that the ministry would work with the ministries responsible for Education, Youth and Women Affairs to promote evidence-based drug prevention programmes in schools and communities, while reducing stigma to encourage more people with substance use disorders to seek treatment.

The minister also commended the Kaduna State Government for its efforts to combat drug abuse and urged other state governments to strengthen data systems, fund state-specific response plans and invest in treatment, rehabilitation and prevention programmes.

Pate praised the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), development partners, civil society organisations and other stakeholders for their contributions, saying sustained collaboration remains critical to reducing drug abuse nationwide.

Speaking at the summit, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, represented by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Dr Abubakar Kana, described the fight against illicit drugs as a shared responsibility involving governments, communities, families, healthcare providers, security agencies, faith-based organisations, the private sector and development partners.

Akume expressed concern over the growing impact of substance abuse on young Nigerians, saying it fuels mental illness, family breakdown, school dropouts, unemployment and criminal activities.

He also said President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda prioritises mental health, stronger healthcare systems, youth empowerment and resilient communities. He expressed confidence that the summit would strengthen national coordination against illicit drug use.

Earlier, the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brigadier-General Muhammad Marwa, described the summit as timely, saying it provides an opportunity for stakeholders to develop practical solutions that will strengthen prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, policy implementation and institutional collaboration.

The ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, represented by the Director of the Narcotics Division, Pharm Henrietta Bakura-Onyeneke, reiterated the ministry’s commitment to building a health system where no Nigerian is denied effective pain management while protecting citizens from the dangers of drug misuse.