Nigeria Vows to Combat Drug Abuse and Enhance Access to Essential Medicines

Nigeria's federal government is reaffirming its commitment to ensuring patients have access to essential controlled medicines while simultaneously tackling drug abuse. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, stated the government's intention to implement a balanced, evidence-based, and human-centered approach to drug control.

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The rising burden of drug misuse has significant implications for public health, national security and socio-economic development, stressing that the country must adopt comprehensive strategies that go beyond law enforcement.

This strategy aims to integrate public health concerns with security measures, prevention efforts, and treatment options. Professor Pate emphasized that while efforts to curb illicit drug use will continue, the government also bears the responsibility of guaranteeing that patients suffering from severe pain due to conditions like cancer, surgery, or sickle cell disease can access necessary controlled medicines such as morphine and pethidine.

Citing findings from a 2018 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) survey, the minister highlighted the scale of the issue, noting that 14.4 percent of Nigerians aged 15 to 64 had used drugs. Cannabis remains the most commonly used substance, alongside a rising misuse of prescription opioids like tramadol and codeine, and emerging psychoactive substances. The minister stressed that addiction is a medical condition requiring evidence-based care, not solely stigma or punishment.

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He stressed that denying patients appropriate pain relief because of concerns over drug diversion was unacceptable, adding that government would continue to pursue policies that balance effective drug control with access to essential medicines.

The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare plans to strengthen the health system's response by expanding screening, brief intervention, and referral services for substance use disorders across primary healthcare centers and general hospitals. Additionally, the government intends to increase the number of accredited treatment and rehabilitation centers and train more health workers in medically assisted treatment. Efforts will also focus on enhancing accountability within the pharmaceutical supply chain through measures like securing warehouses holding narcotic medicines and deploying inventory management systems.

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emphasizing that addiction is a medical condition requiring evidence-based care rather than stigma or punishment alone.