Abuja, March 13, 2023 – NAFDAC is to join forces with NDLEA and Nigerian Customs Service and others to fight against production, trafficking, and use of illicit drugs in the country.
The stakeholders made the pledge in Lagos on Thursday at the launch and dissemination of the 2022 Annual Report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and Precursors Report 2022.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the NAFDAC Director General, described narcotics and psychotropic substances as indispensable for the relief of pain and suffering, but controlled within the framework of 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.
Adeyeye said that one of the control objectives was 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 said, were thus interpreted to mean improved access to controlled medicines to enable countries meet their drug needs.
The NAFDAC boss said that the Agency, in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Health, had carried out two quantifications of narcotics and estimation of psychotropic substances and precursors in 2017 and 2019.
She said the results of these surveys provided 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.
Adeyeye said that the figure was comparatively high compared to the 2016 global annual prevalence of 5.6% among adult population.
She said that the challenges arising from drug supply and consumption were not restricted to people who used drugs, but had wider health, social and economic consequences on the family, community, and country.
The report, she said, revealed that Cannabis is the most commonly used drug, stressing that an estimated 10.8 per cent 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 per cent among men vs. 2.6 per cent of women), while the gender gap in the non-medical use of pharmaceutical opioids (such as tramadol) was less marked,’’ she said.
Adeyeye, however, said that Nigeria would not support the trend of legalisation of cannabis for non-medical use as Nigeria lacked the financial capacity to fight cultivation, production and illegal use of the substance.
She said non-medical use of Cannabis contravened 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.
She 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.
Brigadier General, Buba Marwa (rtd), the Executive Chairman of NDLEA, decried the upsurge in abuse of cannabis amongst the Nigerian youths with its attendant negative effects on the society.
He said that the NDLEA was addressing this problem conceptualized as “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA) which was launched by the Nigerian President, Mohammadu Buhari on June 26, 2021.
Marwa, who was represented by Mrs. Victoria Ekase, said that NAFDAC had been ensuring that controlled drug essential for human survival were made available for use where necessary in line with the requirements of INCB.
He said that the NDLEA was collaborating 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, noting with dismay that It’s quite 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 will 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.
Col. Hameed Ibrahim Alli (rtd), the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service, also commended NAFDAC, observing that NAFDAC and NDLEA have been most wonderful.
Alli, who was represented by Ag. Assistant Comptroller General, ACG, A.N Dappa, pledged the loyalty and support of the customs service 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. (GBN)
