The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has raised an alarm on a growing crisis, revealing that nearly three million people in Nigeria’s Northwest region are battling drug addiction. This staggering figure underscores the deepening substance abuse problem in the area.
Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, made this revelation on Monday at the launch of a regional campaign against illicit drug use in Kaduna. The initiative, themed “Stop Drug Abuse and Domestic Violence in Our Communities,” is designed to curb the escalating drug abuse epidemic and its devastating social consequences.
Spearheaded by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and organized in partnership with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the NDLEA, the campaign brings stakeholders together to confront what Marwa described as a major public health emergency demanding immediate and unified action.
“The 2018 National Drug Use Survey conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) revealed an alarming reality: 14.3 million Nigerians aged 15–64 use psychoactive substances,” he said.
He urged state governments, lawmakers, local authorities, and private stakeholders to join forces with the NDLEA in tackling the drug crisis effectively. Marwa also called on parents, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and community members to take an active role in prevention, rehabilitation, and ensuring that drug traffickers are brought to justice.
“The success of this campaign requires the support of everyone. Parents, community leaders, traditional rulers, pastors, and imams must strengthen their resolve to prevent drug abuse, support those affected by it, and ensure that drug traffickers face the full force of the law,” he emphasized.
To address the growing drug addiction crisis, the NDLEA has set up 30 counselling and rehabilitation centres nationwide. These facilities offer psychosocial support, medical care, referrals, and programs to help recovering drug users reintegrate into society.
Marwa revealed that over the past four years, a total of 22,047 individuals had received counselling, treatment, and rehabilitation through these centres.
