Nigeria ranks 1st in world’s Cannabis use countries, says Marwa

Nigeria ranks 1st in world’s Cannabis use countries, says MarwaChairman and the Chief Executive Officer, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa says Nigeria has the highest Cannabis use rate in the world, saying 10.6 million Nigerians abused cannabis.

Speaking during the 2nd edition of Vanguard Mental Health Summit Marwa said Nigeria have a serious drug abuse problem.

He revealed that the severity of the situation was unknown until the 2018 UNODC-supported National Survey on Drug Use and Health was conducted leading to worrisome findings.

He said, “Before then, the drug use profile of Nigeria was sketchy. The survey gave us facts for the first time and we got to know that Nigeria, as of 2018, had a 14.4 percent drug use prevalence.

“That was an eye-opener. The statistics may not mean much at face value; only by comparison will the danger become glaring.

“The average global drug use prevalence was 5.5 percent; at 14.4 percent, Nigeria has almost three times the global prevalence.

“Without any doubt, the country has a serious substance abuse problem.

“Secondly, the survey gave us an idea about the pattern of abuse vis-a-vis prevalence and substance type in various regions of the country.

“The biggest revelation was that 10.6 million Nigerians abused cannabis. Again, this is a mere figure until you begin to figure it out in terms of the human impact. The ramification is that we have a cannabis-using population that is bigger than countries like Portugal and the United Arab Emirates.”

Marwa who was represented at the event by ACGN Zonal Commander, NDLEA, Lagos, Dr Segun Oke, said in 22 months, the agency has arrested 20,000 offenders and convicted 3,111 in court; we have seized 5.5 million kg of illicit drugs, destroyed 900 hectares of cannabis farms and dismantled two illicit methamphetamine laboratories.

He assured that next year will be tougher as a result of the amended NDLEA Act that will pave way for convicted traffickers to spend long years in jail without the option of a fine.

”We are also trying to present a counter-narrative to the wrong messages out there that brainwash young people to believe that illicit substances are harmless.”

“The implication is that Nigeria is the world’s No. 1 Cannabis-using country, even ahead of countries that have decriminalised the use of the psychoactive plant. Ironically, cannabis use in Nigeria is overwhelmingly for recreational purposes,” Marwa said.