The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigeria Customs Service, and some other stakeholders in the health sector have vowed to collaborate in the fight against illicit drug production, trafficking, and use, and in curbing related organised crime.
The pledge was made last Thursday in Lagos at the launch and dissemination of the 2022 Annual Report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and Precursors Report 2022.
NAFDAC’s Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye described narcotics and psychotropic substances as indispensable for the relief of pain and suffering, explaining that they are controlled within the framework of the three international conventions as they possess abuse liability and produce dependence in users.
‘’They are classified not on chemical nature but on the potential for abuse and the need for medical use of the substance’’, she said, adding that one of the control objectives is to ensure availability solely for medical and scientific uses while minimizing the possibility of diversion to illicit channels and abuse.
According to her, the policy thrust of the agency is to ensure availability, access and rational use while preventing illicit use and abuse. The international drug control conventions, she added, are thus interpreted to mean improved access to controlled medicines to enable countries meet their drug needs.
In other to ensure adequate availability of controlled medicines, the NAFDAC boss disclosed that the Agency in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Health carried out two quantifications of narcotics and estimation of psychotropic substances and precursors in 2017 and 2019.
She said the results of these surveys provide the evidenced-based estimation of our national annual requirements of these substances and enable the country to develop measures to achieve that delicate balance between access and control.
‘’According to the 2018 National Drug Use Survey, the prevalence of any drug use was 14.4% or 14.3 million people between the age of 15 and 64 years’’, she said, noting that this is comparatively high compared with the 2016 global annual prevalence of 5.6 percent among adult population.
Adeyeye pointed out that the challenges arising from drug supply and consumption are not restricted to people who use drugs but have wider health, social and economic consequences on the family, community, and country.
The report, she stated further, revealed that cannabis is the most commonly used drug, stressing that an estimated 10.8 percent of the population or 10.6 million people, had used cannabis in the past year with the average age of initiation of cannabis use among the general population put at 19 years.
‘’Cannabis use was seven times higher among men (18.8 percent among men vs. 2.6 percent of women), while the gender gap in the non-medical use of pharmaceutical opioids (such as tramadol) was less marked’’, she said.
She, however, said that Nigeria would not support the trend of legalization of cannabis for non-medical use as Nigeria lacks the financial capacity to fight cultivation, production and illegal use of the substance.
The non-medical use of cannabis, according to Adeyeye, contravenes the United Nations Single Convention of 1961, which classifies cannabis as a highly addictive substance.
‘’The Nigeria Indian Hemp Act as well as the NDLEA Act prohibit the cultivation, production, distribution, sales and use of cannabis and its extracts or derivatives for medical or non-medical purposes’’, she said.
The NAFDAC DG commended the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime UNODC for the assistance and support to the country in the fight against illicit drug production, trafficking, and use, and in curbing related organized crime.
‘’We also appreciate INCB for the support to NAFDAC towards enhanced regulatory control of narcotics and psychotropic substances’’, she said.
NDLEA’s Executive Chairman, Brig. General Buba Marwa (rtd.) decried what he described as an upsurge in abuse of cannabis amongst the Nigerian youths with its attendant negative effects on the society.
He disclosed that the NDLEA, with a view to addressing the problem, conceptualised the War Against Drug Abuse, which was launched by President Mohammadu Buhari on 26 June 2021.
Marwa, who was represented by the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at NDLEA, Mrs Victoria Egbase, noted that NAFDAC has been ensuring that controlled drug essential for human survival are made available for use where necessary, in line with the requirements of INCB, adding that NDLEA collaborates with NAFDAC in ensuring that the measures put in place to prevent diversion of such medicines and substances to illicit use are adhered to.
“In some instances, NDLEA has arrested and prosecuted some traffickers of controlled and narcotics substances intended to be diverted to illicit uses’’, he said, adding that it is worrisome that chemicals intended for research and industrial purposes are finding their way into illicit drug manufacture.
‘’This is the area that NAFDAC and NDLEA need to deepen collaboration to ensure that such unwholesome acts are completely eliminated’’, he said, adding that the launch of the precursor report will go a long way to complement national efforts in this regard.
Marwa pledged that NAFDAC and NDLEA would continue to collaborate with major stakeholders at all levels to develop an efficient value-chain and support system that will ensure access to narcotics and controlled substances for medical and strategic purposes while preventing diversion for illicit use.
‘’I sincerely hope that the global launch of the report will enhance the integration and cooperation amongst stakeholders in ensuring effective implementation for the overall benefit of the society”, he said.
The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Col. Hameed Ibrahim Alli (rtd.), who was represented by acting Assistant Comptroller General, A. Dappa-Williams, also commended NAFDAC, observing that the agency and NDLEA have been most wonderful.
He pledged the loyalty and support of the NCS in the task of ridding the nation of illicit drug. “We have always been in partnership, and we will continue to work in close partnership with you’’, he said.
