Nigeria drug abusers to reach 20m by 2030 – UNODC
Nigeria drug abusers to reach 20m by 2030. Over 4.3 million people in Nigeria used different kinds of drugs in the year 2020, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said in its World Drug Report 2021, published globally.
According to the report from UNODC ’s Drug Use Survey in Nigeria, 14.3 million people used drugs, a figure that increased in 2020, along with the figure for Africa.
“The COVID-19 global pandemic also heightened the risk of drug use during the period under review and based on the current projections, Nigeria would have an estimated 20 million drug users to grapple with by 2030.
“Between 2010 and 2019, the number of people using drugs increased by 22 per cent, owing in part to global population growth.
“In Nigeria, this would signify that the country will have to grapple with approximately 20 million drug users by 2030 further deepening the public health and public security challenge,” the report added.
UNODC said that there were over 257 million people worldwide who used drugs in the year under review, with an estimated 36 million people worldwide and about three million in Nigeria suffering varying forms of drug use disorders.
However, 36.3 million people, or 13 per cent of the total number of persons who use drugs, suffer from drug use disorders in Nigeria, over 11 million people were estimated to inject drugs, half of whom are living with Hepatitis C, while opioids continued to account for the largest burden of disease attributed to drug use.
On the milestones recorded amid COVID-19, the report said that the pandemic triggered innovation and adaptation in drug prevention and treatment services through more flexible models of service delivery.
It noted that many countries introduced or expanded telemedicine services due to the pandemic, with Nigeria training 130 health care professionals to respond to drug use issues.
READ ALSO: Kwara first lady charges students to shun drug abuse
Kamila/Punch
