Drug addiction, rehabilitation and enhanced budget

SIR: Another budgeting circle is here in Nigeria, even as agencies of the federal government are vigorously pursuing and defending robustly their respective proposed budgets in the earliest weeks of January. Some of these agencies are actually finding it very difficult to convince discerning Nigerians about how justified their proposals are when put side by side with the public perception about their performances in the preceding year.

However, one agency amongst just a very few stands out as very well qualified for their proposed budget lines, given that in the preceding year, there is an abundance of empirical evidence to show that they achieved many milestones and made the nation and the citizens proud in the eye of the international community. This agency aforementioned that merits the proposed budget or even more is the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig-Gen Mohamed Marwa (rtd), had during the budget defence expressed appreciation to the Senate and House Committees on Narcotic Drugs for their commitment to the nation’s fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking while appealing for their continued support to enhance the capacity and capability of the agency to deliver on its mandate.

Marwa said rightly that the steady operational successes which led to 18,500 arrests and the seizure of 2.6 million kilogrammes of drugs in 2024 justified the global support the Agency is getting.

Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja, in a statement last Tuesday, said the feat being recorded by the anti-narcotic body in its drug supply and demand reduction efforts will continue to justify the support it is getting from the United States government, other partners, and stakeholders.

Rehabilitation for drug addiction has several psychological benefits, including: Improved mental health, increased self-esteem; improved emotional regulation, improved coping skills, improved impulse control, greater emotional stability and increased empathy. Rehabilitation often involves group therapy and counselling sessions, which can help individuals develop greater empathy and understanding of others’ struggles.

Many individuals with substance use disorders also experience recurring mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, or trauma.

These dual diagnoses require specialised care to ensure both the addiction and underlying mental health issues are treated effectively.

Rehabilitation programmes that specialise in dual diagnosis treatment offer integrated approaches to address both conditions simultaneously. By treating both mental health and addiction issues together, individuals gain a deeper understanding of how these issues intersect, resulting in more comprehensive recovery outcomes.

The abuse of drugs and other substances, as well as associated crime, has led to a significant rise in the number of youths imprisoned in recent years. A report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Nigeria indicates that 14.4 per cent (14.3 million) of people aged between 15 and 64 years abuse drugs.

Since 2004, drug traffickers have increasingly used West African countries, including Nigeria, as transit points for smuggling large quantities of cocaine from South Africa into Europe and North America.

This problem can be mitigated by creating critical awareness through platforms that support drug abuse prevention education among secondary school students via Drug-Free Clubs. Establishing Drug-Free Clubs in secondary schools will create the necessary awareness about the dangers of drug abuse and help curb youth involvement in illicit substances.

The government should help identify, treat, and rehabilitate addicts and prevent drug abuse. Educating the public about the dangers of drug abuse, supplying necessary medications where needed, and ensuring that laws do not discriminate against recovered drug addicts are essential.

After resolving an alcohol or drug problem, laws such as preventing people with histories of drug arrests from receiving federal loans for education, and widespread corporate policies forbidding the hiring of people with criminal records, should not be held against those who have recovered from addiction.
Emmanuel Onwubiko is the founder of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria.