The Ogun State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Commander of Narcotics Tijjani Rabe, has raised alarm over the rising prevalence of drug abuse among Nigerian youths, warning that the crisis poses a serious threat to the country’s human capital and future development.
Speaking at the 2025 World International Youth Day celebration organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Correspondents Chapel in Abeokuta, themed “Youth Empowerment for a Sustainable Future”, Rabe described drug abuse as a “gigantic albatross” to youth development in the 21st century.
Citing the 2018 National Drug Use Survey, he said drug use prevalence in Nigeria stands at 14.4% — nearly three times the global average of 5.6% — with 14.3 million Nigerians aged between 15 and 64 admitting to using illicit drugs. Of this number, 10.6 million abused cannabis, while one in every five drug users suffers from drug use disorder.
“The South-West has the highest rate of drug abuse in the country, with over four million people indulging in various substances,” Rabe said, describing the trend as “huge and worrisome.” He noted that most cannabis users begin experimentation between ages 17 and 19, a period he called “the prime of youth.”
Rabe outlined the factors fuelling the crisis, including peer pressure, academic and career stress, social media content that glamorises drug use, and underlying mental health disorders.
To combat the problem, the NDLEA, he said, is pursuing a two-pronged strategy: supply reduction through arrests, seizures, and prosecution of offenders, and demand reduction via education, community engagement, and rehabilitation programmes.
Highlighting recent successes, Rabe disclosed that in 2024 the Ogun Command seized 12 tonnes of cannabis, arrested 687 suspects, counselled 406 drug users, and secured 221 convictions. Between January and June 2025, the command arrested 395 suspects, counselled 186 clients, and seized eight tonnes of cannabis and other psychotropic substances, securing 97 convictions.
He called for a united front against drug abuse, urging parents, religious leaders, traditional rulers, educational institutions, and communities to “rise to the occasion with one voice.”
“As we celebrate this year’s Youth Day, we must empower our youths with the knowledge, skills, and support to resist the temptation of substance abuse,” Rabe concluded. “Only through collective effort can we create a safer, healthier, and more prosperous future for all.”
