Addict at the table pulls his hand to the syringe with the dose. Copy paste

By Sulaimon Bala Idris

There was a time that Nigeria’s youth had to look forward to.  The future seemed bright and there were real opportunities where young people could reach their full potential.

Unfortunately, much of that hope has evaporated, as have the opportunities for our young people.  Insecurity, lack of jobs and increases in the cost of living have set the prospects of our people in the wrong direction.

This sense of hopelessness manifests itself in many ways, with the current epidemic of drug abuse a clear case in point. The UNODC found in 2021 that 14.4 percent of Nigerians aged between 15 and 63 engage in drug abuse. This figure is almost three times the global drug abuse prevalence rate of 5.5 percent.

Unfortunately, the outlook is a pessimistic one. By 2030, the number of drug users in Africa is expected to increase by 40 percent, given our continent’s rapidly rising youth population. This means that Nigeria may have to deal with the problems posed by more than 20 million drug users.

In 2019, around 40 percent of the two-thirds of high risk drug users who reported a need for treatment for drug use were unable to access appropriate healthcare services. Nigeria has only 250 trained psychiatrists for its 200 million population, according to the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN) – a ratio of one psychiatrist to 800,000 people. To provide real solutions, we must understand the complex and intertwined nature of the problem.

At major local pharmaceutical companies, corruption boosts the illicit supply of drugs to users. Border officials with poor oversight allows drugs traffickers to pass into our country to distribute drugs. Simultaneously, drug abuse is the fuel sustaining insurgency, kidnapping, banditry and many other blights – particularly in the North.

Recently, former President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki advocated real solutions and a fresh approach to tackling this crisis. Saraki argued that greater government enforcement of drug laws outlined by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) are needed.

He stated that there was an urgent need to address our porous borders and increase resources to tackling insecurity around key border regions which, in turn, could assist in eradicating the source of illicit drugs flooding the country. Future leaders need to reverse the neglect of border communities.

Saraki also said that government must more rigidly enforce NAFDAC regulations to stop pharmaceutical derivatives from reaching customers who intend to abuse them. Some progress has been made already in this respect. A number of pharmaceutical companies have been closed to stop illicit production, in part, as a result of the legislative work done by the Eighth Senate, which convened a roundtable dialogue on the Drug Use Crisis in Nigeria in December 2017. Now, Nigeria needs stricter enforcement of NAFDAC regulations to enforce the use of prescriptions for certain classes of drugs.

Saraki’s solutions also broadened out to other areas in the community, like the media.  He argued that the media has a role to play, by taking a more proactive stance in the fight against drug abuse. The media can raise awareness-building and sensitising the public about the dangers of drug abuse. They could champion an anti-drugs narrative. This would include ‘de-glamourising’ media content depicting drug abuse by linking such activities to the downside of drug abuse. The media could also glamorise the actions of NDLEA, NAFDAC, border patrols, et cetera. These are the heroes protecting us. Where NAFDAC rules cannot be enforced, the media can still make a difference. Their cameras can be pointed where things get sold under the counter.

All these real solutions advocated by Saraki are interlinked. A proactive and responsible media would dovetail with campaigns advocating for governors to assist in providing more treatment facilities, outreach and public education. Media reports indirectly help legislators and law enforcement agencies in their efforts by drawing attention to major issues.

As a medical doctor, he knows too well how quickly drug abuse can bring down a community. What Nigeria needs now is a fresh perspective when it comes to the drug scourge.   Real leadership is needed, one that has the strength and commitment to deal with this issue and provide our young people a real sense of hope and opportunity once again.

Idris wrote in from Abuja

 

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