Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Buba Marwa, says 14.3m Nigerians abuse drugs, adding that it is most prevalent in the South-West with Oyo and Lagos States leading.
According to him, drug dealers now go through the neighbouring countries to smuggle illicit drugs into Nigeria.
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Marwa spoke on Wednesday at the public lecture/symposium organized by the United Action for Change (UAC) in Lagos.
In his keynote address delivered virtually, he expressed concern over the high prevalence of drug abuse, saying, “Nigeria’s drug statistics should give every one of us a sleepless night.”
He said: “Not less than 14.3 million Nigerians abuse drugs – Nigerians between the ages of 16 and 64 years. Among them, one in four drug users is female.
“Expectedly, cannabis is the most abused substance by Nigerians. What’s alarming, however, is that a staggering 10.6 million Nigerians abuse the use of cannabis.
“That number makes our country number one in the use of cannabis. Let’s ponder this for a moment; 10.6 million is more than the estimated population of Botswana and Lesotho combined.
“Most of the abusers first started at the age of 19, and the highest level of usage is concentrated in youth between 25 and 29.
“The highest abuse of drugs is reported in the southern geopolitical zone, with the south-west recording the highest prevalence with over four million Nigerians engaging in the use of various drugs.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, who was present at the event, said the agency had mobilized its men to the waterways to frustrate the drug traffickers using the jetties through neighbouring countries.
The convener of the UAC, Dr Muiz Banire, noted that Nigeria is in crisis over the high prevalence of drug abuse.
