The Strategic Commander, National Drug Enforcement Agency, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos Command, Mr. Usman Wadar, says no fewer than 14 million Nigerians out of the estimated 223 million have either tasted or are hooked on drugs.
Receiving the officials of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc on Tuesday at the Lagos Airport, who donated several medical items to the airport Command of the NDLEA as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Wadar said that the 14 million figure was provided by the United Nations Drug Survey in its 2018 statistics.
He disclosed that the menace was a global and societal challenge and that the recent statistics from Nigeria indicated that the illegal use of drugs was declining in the country.
According to him, in 2022, the command seized about 21 tonnes of illicit drugs; 2023 was 23 tonnes, but it dropped drastically to just 7 tonnes in 2024.
Wadar attributed this success to the steps taken by the NDLEA to curb the growing menace in the Nigerian society.
“The drug problem is a global and societal one. If you go by the 2018 United Nations Drug Survey, more than 14m Nigerians have either tasted drugs or are hooked on drugs. That is a very staggering figure. It shows that all hands must be on deck so that we can curb this menace in our society.
“If you look at what we did in 2022, about 21 tonnes of assorted drugs were seized in this particular command. In 2023, it was 23 tonnes, but by 2024, it has drastically gone down to about seven tonnes. You can see a decline in that. That means our effort is paying off,” local media reports quoted Wadar as saying.
He also expressed delight at the donation by SAHCO, saying that the items would go a long way in improving its performance and enhancing its relevance.
Some of the medical items donated by SAHCO included an incubator, centrifuge machine, sphygmomanometer, weighing scale, poison box, lipid profile meter, staining rack, and ambu bags.
Earlier, the Executive Director, Cargo Services, SAHCO, Mrs. Boma Ukwunna, who represented Mrs. Adenike Aboderin, Managing Director, SAHCO, at the event, said that the donation was part of the company’s CSR to the industry.
Ukwunna, who regretted the adverse effects of drug abuse in society, commended the NDLEA for putting in place effective measures to checkmate the influx and outflow of drugs in the country, adding that the agency’s efforts had reduced the menace of drug trafficking in society.
She said the items donated would aid the Command in attending to suspects quickly, its staff, and other stakeholders in the industry.
“In Nigeria and the world over, we know the menace of drugs and how we have had to contend with it, the impact on society, especially on the Nigerian youths.
“I want to commend the Commander for what he and his team have put in place to curb the menace at our airports and the country at large,” she said.