The 65th National Council on Health (NCH) has approved a memorandum advocating for the establishment of a legal framework to implement a comprehensive public health approach to Nigeria’s escalating drug use epidemic.
Speaking on Saturday in Maiduguri, Borno State, the Minister of Health and Social Development, Prof. Muhammad Pate highlighted the inadequacies of the current legal structure, which prioritises drug enforcement over health-centered interventions.
Science Nigeria reports that over 14.3 million Nigerians aged 15 to 64 use psychoactive substances, with three million experiencing drug use disorders. The crisis is compounded by a 10 per cent HIV prevalence rate among people who inject drugs, up from 3.4 per cent in 2014, according to data presented to the council.
Pate noted that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act is unbalanced, focusing primarily on enforcement while neglecting health-led responses such as prevention, treatment and harm reduction.
“The memorandum stressed the need to align Nigeria’s drug control policies with global best practices, including the World Health Organisation’s recommendations for a public health-centered approach,” he said.
These recommendations include:
– Preventing drug use and addressing vulnerabilities.
– Improving treatment and rehabilitation access for people with drug use disorders.
– Implementing harm reduction measures.
– Ensuring access to controlled medicines for medical purposes.
– Establishing monitoring and evaluation systems.
The minister also noted the disproportionate impact on women, who account for 25 per cent of drug users and often face barriers to treatment due to stigma and inadequate resources.
“The NCH’s decision aligns with Nigeria’s commitments to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and global declarations such as the 2016 United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) Outcome Document and the 2019 Commission on Narcotics Drugs (CND) Ministerial Declaration,” he said.
Director of public health at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Chukwuma Anyaike commended the council for prioritising a public health response.
“This decision signifies Nigeria’s commitment to addressing the root causes of drug use. It’s a vital step toward saving lives and achieving Universal Health Coverage,” Anyaike said.
Executive director of YouthRISE Nigeria, Mrs. Oluwafisayo Alao a technical partner with the Federal Ministry of Health, applauded the NCH for this significant step and urged expedited action to establish the legal framework.
“The legal framework should ensure that states also take ownership of drug use interventions, as drug use happens within communities in the states,” Alao said. She also emphasised the importance of gender-sensitive programmes to improve treatment access for women.
Earlier, a consultant psychiatrist, Prof. Ibrahim Wakawa emphasised the need for collaboration between the executive and legislative arms of government to establish the legal framework for a comprehensive public health approach to drug use.
Wakawa, who is also the chief medical director of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Maiduguri, urged the judiciary and enforcement sectors to support the framework.
“A unified approach is critical for success,” he said, calling for transparency and robust monitoring to track progress.
Stakeholders are optimistic that this shift will mark a turning point in addressing drug use as a public health priority rather than just a criminal issue.
