In Nigeria, substance abuse has gradually become a cause for concern due to the alarming increase in the consumption of psychoactive substances over the years. This has therefore warranted the need to find an effective and sustainable solution to the problem before its gets out of hand. A stakeholders’ consultative forum on substance abuse which attracted important stakeholders in the field was convened in March 2011 and issues bordering on substance abuse in Nigeria and the development of effective and sustainable intervention were discussed and decisions on the way forward taken. Taking into consideration that stakeholders play important roles at the various stages of planning, implementation and evaluation of substance abuse interventions, it is important to understand their views on issues relevant to the development of these interventions. The researchers therefore conducted this study with the aim of providing information on stakeholders’ views about substance abuse in Nigeria, as well as their opinions on the strategies for developing effective and sustainable substance abuse interventions in the country; in view that it would serve as a framework for making decisions on issues related to the development of substance abuse control interventions in Nigeria and also for conducting further studies on issues highlighted in the study.

1. Stakeholder’s Views on Substance Abuse
and the Development of Effective and
Sustainable Interventions in Nigeria:
Findings from a Consultative Forum
Dr Rose Azuike*
Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit,
Freedom Foundation
Dr Alexander Oni
Substance Abuse Rehabilitation and Resource Centre,
Freedom Foundation
Dr Osasuyi Dirisu
Substance Abuse Rehabilitation and Resource Centre,
Freedom Foundation
January, 2012
*Correspondence to: r.azuike@freedomfoundationng.org

2. ABSTRACT
Background: In Nigeria, substance abuse has gradually become a cause for concern due to the
alarming increase in the consumption of psychoactive substances over the years. This has
therefore warranted the need to find an effective and sustainable solution to the problem before
its gets out of hand. A stakeholders’ consultative forum on substance abuse which attracted
important stakeholders in the field was convened in March 2011 and issues bordering on
substance abuse in Nigeria and the development of effective and sustainable intervention were
discussed and decisions on the way forward taken. Taking into consideration that stakeholders
play important roles at the various stages of planning, implementation and evaluation of
substance abuse interventions, it is important to understand their views on issues relevant to the
development of these interventions. The researchers therefore conducted this study with the aim
of providing information on stakeholders’ views about substance abuse in Nigeria, as well as
their opinions on the strategies for developing effective and sustainable substance abuse
interventions in the country; in view that it would serve as a framework for making decisions on
issues related to the development of substance abuse control interventions in Nigeria and also for
conducting further studies on issues highlighted in the study.
Method: A mixed methods study involving analyses of information from open discussions held
at the Stakeholder’s Consultative Forum on Substance Abuse and a complementary survey of 74
Forum attendees was conducted. Data analysis involved thematic analysis of the data from the
open group discussions and open-ended questions in the survey questionnaire; a statistical
analysis of data from the closed questions in the survey questionnaire and an integrative
consideration of the qualitative and quantitative findings.
Results: Substance abuse was generally viewed as a chronic problem which had eaten deep into
the Nigerian society. Stakeholders’ views however varied on issues such as how they perceived
the act of substance abuse, the magnitude of the problem, factors that influence substance abuse,
the vulnerable populations as well as on the implications of the problem. Stakeholders who had
worked directly with persons with substance abuse disorders generally had more liberal views
about substance abuse than those who had not worked with these persons. Furthermore, three
major strategies for developing effective and sustainable substance abuse interventions in
Nigeria were identified from stakeholders’ responses. These focused on encouraging
collaboration amongst stakeholders; advocacy and community sensitization; and research, policy
development and implementation.
Conclusion: Stakeholders’ responses have not been considered in this report as being either
correct or incorrect but are rather seen as viewpoints that as much as possible reflects
stakeholders’ views on substance abuse and on the development of effective and sustainable
interventions in Nigeria. Although stakeholders had varying positions on the issues considered
in the study, a general appraisal of stakeholder responses indicate that despite the gloomy state of
substance abuse in Nigeria, the potential to develop and implement effective and sustainable
substance abuse interventions in the country exists. It is therefore expected that the results of
this study would provide a framework for making decisions on issues related to the development
of substance abuse interventions in Nigeria and for conducting further studies on issues
highlighted.
2

3. TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT 2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 4
ACRONYMS 5
1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION 6
1.1.Introduction 6
1.2.Study aim and objectives 7
1.3.Methods 8
2. RESULTS AND FINDINGS 9
2.1.Stakeholders’ views on substance abuse in Nigeria 9
2.1.1. Views on the act of substance abuse 9
2.1.2. Views on the magnitude of substance abuse 10
2.1.3. Views on the factors that influence substance abuse 11
2.1.4. Views on populations vulnerable to substance abuse 12
2.1.5. Views on the implications of substance abuse 12
2.2.Stakeholders’ views on the development of effective and sustainable substance
abuse interventions 13
2.2.1. Views on effective approaches to substance abuse 13
2.2.2. Views on strategies for developing effective and sustainable substance
abuse interventions 16
3. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 18
REFERENCES 20
3

4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Our special thanks go to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Freedom Foundation, Dr. Tony
Rapu and the Executive Director of Freedom Foundation, Mrs. Tenidola Awoyemi for providing the
platform for organizing the Stakeholders Consultative Forum on Substance Abuse held in March,
2011 in Lagos, Nigeria. Our sincere gratitude goes to the individuals and organizations that
supported the Consultative Forum both financially and morally. We would also like to thank all
stakeholders who participated in the Consultative Forum and also took their valuable time to
complete the survey questionnaire.
4

5. ACRONYMNS
NAFDAC National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control
NDLEA National Drug Law Enforcement Agency
NGO Non-Governmental organization
UNODC United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
UNODCCP United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention
5

6. 1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
1.1. Introduction
Substance abuse, a public health and social problem has gradually become a cause for concern in
Africa and indeed in Nigeria. In Nigeria, the consumption of illegal drugs and the harmful use of
other psychoactive substances such as alcohol, pharmaceutical drugs, inhalants and solvents have
increased at an alarming rate over the years. Available report indicates that Nigeria is currently
the highest consumer of cannabis and amphetamine in Africa (1). An analysis of the World Drug
reports over a ten-year period (2001 – 2011) showed that the estimated annual prevalence of
cannabis consumption among persons aged 15 to 65 years increased from about 8.7% to 14.3%;
while that of amphetamine consumption increased from 1.2% to 1.4% (2; 1). The same trend
was also reported for cocaine and opiates with annual prevalence of consumption rising from
1.0% and 0.3% respectively to 0.7% for both substances (2; 1).
Although the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is charged with the
responsibility of controlling drug trafficking and abuse in Nigeria (3), and the National Agency
for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has the responsibility of regulating
and controlling the production, distribution, importation, exportation and consumption of legal
psychoactive substances and chemicals (4), a common feature of the existing substance abuse
strategy is the emphasis placed on reducing the supply of illegal drugs through the imposition of
stiff penalties for illegal drug trafficking (5), as well as controlling the production, distribution,
importation and exportation of legal psychoactive substances and chemicals (4). Minimal efforts
however have been made by these government agencies to control the consumption of these
psychoactive substances and/or also reduce the harm associated with their use.
While the government has made some effort to prevent or control the consumption of
psychoactive substances by conducting ad hoc media campaigns, developing policies and
establishing a few public substance abuse treatment centres (6; 7; 8); local and international non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) have been largely responsible for controlling the
consumption of psychoactive substances in Nigeria through the establishment of treatment
centres and homes and the development and implementation of interventions focused on
preventing substance abuse, as well as reducing the harm associated with their use (7; 8). These
interventions however have been apparently ineffective as evidenced by the rising trends in
6

7. substance abuse in Nigeria. This has been attributed to inadequate funding and low government
interest; uneven distribution of interventions, poor coordination and networking among
stakeholders, limited information, limited number of treatment centres and unsupportive social
environment (7; 8).
The emerging trend in substance abuse and the apparent lack of interventions/ ineffectiveness of
existing interventions in Nigeria has warranted the need to find an effective and sustainable
solution to the problem before its gets out of hand. However, for substance abuse interventions to
be effective and sustainable, contributions from key stakeholders are required at the various
stages of planning, implementation and evaluation (9). It is therefore in this light that a non-
governmental organization (NGO), Freedom Foundation, organized a stakeholders’ consultative
forum, tagged “Developing Effective and Sustainable Substance Abuse Intervention”. The
Forum which was held in March, 2011 in Lagos, Nigeria, was aimed at bringing together the key
players in the control of substance abuse in the country to deliberate and take decisions on the
way forward in the fight against substance abuse in the country. The Forum attracted a total of 74
stakeholders comprising NGO executives and project/program management staff, government
officials, academicians/researchers, health professionals, social workers as well as independent
consultants.
1.2. Aim and objectives
Taking into consideration that stakeholders play important roles at the various stages of planning,
implementation and evaluation of substance abuse interventions, it is important to understand
their views on issues relevant to the development of these interventions. It is on that premise that
the researchers conducted this study whose main aim is to provide information on stakeholders’
views about substance abuse in Nigeria, as well as their opinions on the strategies for developing
effective and sustainable substance abuse interventions in the country; in view that it would serve
as a framework for making decisions on issues related to the development of substance abuse
control interventions in Nigeria and also for conducting further studies on issues highlighted in
the study.
This study specifically focused on;
1. Obtaining a general understanding of stakeholders’ views on substance abuse in Nigeria.
7

8. 2. Determining stakeholders’ views and opinions on the strategies for developing effective
and sustainable substance abuse interventions in the country.
1.3. Methods
This was a mixed methods study comprising analyses of information from open discussions held
at the Stakeholder’s Consultative Forum on Substance Abuse and a complementary survey of a
sample of stakeholders who attended the Consultative Forum. The open discussions lasted for
approximately three hours and covered issues such as the magnitude of substance abuse in
Nigeria, its implications, vulnerable populations, factors associated with substance abuse,
emerging issues and strategies for developing effective and sustainable substance abuse
interventions. The complementary survey was done using semi-structured questionnaires and its
aim was to collect demographic information of participants, obtain input on key issues from a
larger number of the Consultative Forum participants and also confirm findings from the open
discussions.
Data analysis involved thematic analysis of the data from the open group discussions and open-
ended questions in the survey questionnaire, a statistical analysis of data from the closed
questions in the survey questionnaire and an integrative consideration of the qualitative and
quantitative findings.
8

9. 2. RESULTS AND FINDINGS
Out of the 74 stakeholders who attended the Consultative Forum, an approximate number of 29
persons made contributions during the open discussions sessions while 62 stakeholders
completed the survey questionnaire resulting in a survey response rate of 84%. 56% of the
survey respondents were females and 44% males. 45% were single, 52% were married and 3%
were widowed. Close to half (46%) of the respondents were from the non-profit sector, 32%
were from the public sector and 22 % were from the private sector. Over one-third of the survey
respondents (n=23; 37%) had worked directly with drug- and alcohol-dependent persons.
2.1. Stakeholders’ Views on Substance Abuse in Nigeria
2.1.1. Views on the act of substance abuse:
Of the 62 stakeholders surveyed, 35 (56%) were of the view that substance abuse was a self-
inflicted problem, 16 (26%) believed that it was caused by external factors; while 11(17%)
believed that substance abuse could either be self-inflicted or caused by external factors. 37
(60%) viewed substance abuse as a voluntary act, 5 (8%) viewed it as an involuntary act; while
20 (32%) believed that substance abuse could either be voluntary or involuntary. Some
differences were observed in the pattern of responses between stakeholders that had worked
directly with drug/alcohol-dependent persons and those that had not. A greater proportion of
stakeholders who had worked directly with drug/alcohol-dependent persons had more liberal
perception of the act of substance abuse than those who had not worked with them. For instance,
56% of stakeholders who had not worked with drug/alcohol-dependent persons’ perceived
substance abuse as being a self-inflicted problem; while only 26% of stakeholders that had
worked with them perceived substance abuse as being a self-inflicted problem. See table 1 for
details
9

10. All study Stakeholders that have Stake holders that have
participants worked directly with never worked directly with
(n=62) drug/alcohol dependent drug/ alcohol dependent
persons (n=23) persons (n=39)
[No (%)]
[No (%)] [No (%)]
Stakeholders that think that substance
35 (56) 6 (26) 22 (56)
abuse is a self-inflicted problem
Stakeholders that think that substance
16 (26) 5 (22) 11 (28)
abuse is caused by external factors
Stakeholders that think that substance
abuse could either be self-inflicted or 11 (18) 12 (52) 6 (15)
caused by external factors
Stakeholders that think that substance
37 (60) 12 (52) 29 (74)
abuse is a voluntary act
Stakeholders that think that substance
5 (8) 2 (9) 3 (8)
abuse is an involuntary act
Stakeholders that think substance
abuse could either be voluntary or 20 (32) 9 (39) 7 (18)
involuntary
Table 1: Stakeholders’ views on the act of substance abuse
2.1.2. Views on the magnitude of substance abuse:
During the open discussions, there was a general consensus that substance abuse is a chronic
problem that has eaten deep into the Nigerian society. Two major views were however identified
from the survey response.
The first and most common view on the extent of substance abuse was that the incidence and
prevalence rates were unacceptably high and were still on the increase. It was also believed that
the perpetrators were becoming less hidden. According to one of the survey respondents,
Substance abuse in Nigeria is in a deplorable state as this issue is rampant in schools,
from secondary to tertiary level. It is now the order of the day at bus terminals, market
places, prisons and even on the streets of Mushin, Lagos Island, Okokomaiko, Ajegunle,
etc.
A school administrator further noted that “unlike back in the days when students secretly abused
drugs like indian hemp, it is no longer done secretly and some of these students even boast of it”.
10

11. The second point of view centred on the belief that substance abuse was not a new problem in
the country and that the incidence and prevalence rates had been grossly understated and
underestimated due to the lack of adequate awareness and information on the problem.
2.1.3. Views on the factors that influence substance abuse:
On the factors that influence substance abuse, it was unanimously agreed during the open
discussion session that peer pressure was a major factor. Other factors highlighted by a
significant number of stakeholders were poverty and unemployment. Very few stakeholders
mentioned availability of drugs and ineffective policies.
Stakeholders’ views about the level of influence of socio-demographic factors on substance
abuse were assessed. The factors assessed include age, sex, marital status, peer pressure, poverty,
unemployment and level of education. Results of the survey indicate that over 80% of study
participants perceived peer pressure as having a high influence on substance abuse. The
proportion of stakeholders who perceived the other socio-demographic factors assessed as
having a high influence on substance abuse are as follows; poverty (69%), unemployment (56%),
level of education (27%), age (24%), sex (23%) and marital status (11%). Generally, all of the
socio-demographic factors assessed were perceived as having some level of influence on
substance abuse. However some stakeholders perceived the following socio-demographic factors
as having no influence on substance abuse; age (6%), sex (10%), marital status (22%) and level
of education (3%).
Factors Level of influence on substance abuse
High Medium Low None
No (%) No (%) No (%) No (%)
Age 15 (24) 39 (63) 4 (6) 4 (6)
Sex 14 (23) 33 (53) 9 (15) 6 (10)
Marital Status 7 (11) 15 (24) 44 (71) 22 (35)
Peer Pressure 54 (87) 5 (8) 3 (5) 0 (0)
Poverty 43 (69) 15 (24) 4 (65) 0 (0)
Unemployment 35 (56) 15 (24) 12 (19) 0 (0)
Level of Education 17 (27) 34 (55) 9 (15) 3 (5)
Table 2: Stakeholders’ perception of the influence of the socio-demographic factors below on substance abuse
11

12. 2.1.4. Views on populations vulnerable to substance abuse:
Stakeholders had differing perceptions
Figure 1: Stakeholders' perception about the
age group vulnerable to substance abuse about the populations vulnerable to
60
substance abuse in Nigeria. While majority
Proportion of stakeholders
50 were of the opinion that the vulnerable
40 population were the youth, a few persons
30 felt that everyone was vulnerable to
20 substance abuse irrespective of their age.
10 The latter group argued that substance
0 abuse was common in different population
Children Adolescents Young Adults Older adults
(0-10) (11-17) (18-25) (26 & above) groups and could be initiated at any age
depending on the combination of substance
abuse etiologic factors inherent in an individual or those to which an individual had been
exposed to. One of the stakeholders’ gave this example:
Adolescents and young adults due to peer pressure abuse hard drugs such as cannabis;
older adults due to stress and other health issues abuse drugs such as analgesics and
steroids while the abuse of alcohol and cigarettes are common in every age group for
various reasons.
The survey findings on the other hand, showed that 42% of survey participants were of the
opinion that the vulnerable population were youth in the 11-17 age group and 52 % of the survey
participants indicated youth in the 18-25 age group. The remaining 8% indicated other age
groups.
2.1.5. Views on the implications of substance abuse:
Stakeholders’ views with respect to the implications of substance abuse in Nigeria fell into three
themes namely health, social and economic implications. Stakeholders focused more on the
health and social implications. Only two stakeholders highlighted the economic implications of
substance abuse.
12

13. There was a strong consensus that substance abuse had so many health implications. The most
common health implication mentioned by stakeholders was HIV/AIDS. Other health
implications highlighted were Hepatitis B and C and mental health issues such as depression,
psychosis and schizophrenia.
The social implications of substance abuse highlighted by stakeholders focused on security of
lives and property. Stakeholders believed that substance abuse was associated with increased
level of insecurity in the country and some highlighted criminal activities such as armed robbery
and rape.
The economic implications of substance abuse were seen from the perspective of financial losses
to individuals, organizations and the country as a whole. Some of the instances of financial
losses given include; financial costs incurred by individuals in the treatment of substance abuse
and its associated problems; loss of valuable manpower by organizations and financial losses to
the country through money laundering.
2.2. Stakeholders’ Views on the Development of Effective and
Sustainable Substance Abuse Interventions
2.2.1. Views on effective approaches to substance abuse
During the open discussions, the responses obtained on the effective approaches to substance
abuse fell into two major categories namely; demand reduction and supply reduction.
Stakeholders’ views however were focused more on demand reduction. However, the survey
revealed that while only 4% of stakeholders indicated that demand reduction was a more
effective approach and 1% indicated supply reduction, over 90% were of the view that
combining demand and supply reduction strategies was a more effective way of tackling
substance abuse.
Demand Reduction
Under demand reduction, responses were focused on substance abuse prevention and the
treatment substance abuse disorders.
Two major views on prevention of substance abuse were identified. They include;
13

14. i. Education and awareness promotion
ii. Addressing risk factors and increasing protective factors for substance abuse
On the issue of education and awareness promotion, there was a general consensus that both
strategies were effective in preventing substance abuse. A common view was that there was need
for mass awareness promotion and that substance abuse education needed to be directed towards
youths. It was also noted that NGOs had a massive role to play in this instance.
A few stakeholders however were of the view that addressing risk factors such as poverty and
unemployment and/or increasing protective factors would be an effective way of preventing
substance abuse. According to a youth program manager,
One of the best approaches to substance abuse prevention is to tackle pressure areas and
also establish youth friendly centres where young people could express themselves and
receive appropriate counselling.
According to another stakeholder, “the availability of jobs for all will go a long way in helping
reduce substance abuse among our youths”. Some stakeholders also noted that increasing youth
engagement through activities like sports was an effective approach to substance abuse
prevention.
Another strategy for demand reduction highlighted during the open discussions was treatment of
substance abuse disorders. Most proponents of treatment emphasized rehabilitation of persons
with substance abuse disorders. Some stakeholders highlighted the need to establish more
treatment centres in Nigeria, as well as make treatment and rehabilitation easily accessible and
affordable. As noted by a psychologist, “about 7-10% of adolescents are in need of treatment but
only a small number; usually those individuals with co-existing substance use and psychiatric
disorders receive treatment”. No stakeholder mentioned the issue of punishing or incarcerating
persons with substance abuse disorders.
Analysis of the survey on the other hand indicated that 73% of the stakeholders were of the view
that rehabilitation was a more effective approach and 27% believed that combining rehabilitation
with punishment was a more effective approach. No stakeholder viewed punishment as an
effective approach on its own. See table 3 for details. One stakeholder however suggested
incarceration in his comments on the survey questionnaire; “NDLEA and other security agents
14

15. must work harder. If drug users need to be jailed, then let that be done to ensure security of lives
and property”.
Supply Reduction
Most of the stakeholders’ views obtained were focused on developing and enforcing laws and
policies on drug manufacturing and trafficking. A stakeholder stated that “legislation directed at
controlling manufacture, distribution, prescription, price, time of sale and consumption of
substances needs to be put in place”. In addition to legislation, other supply reduction strategies
suggested include eradication of drug plants, prosecution of illegal drug manufacturers and
traffickers by the NDLEA and the introduction of age restrictions on the purchase of alcohol.
All study Stakeholders that have Stake holders that have
participants worked directly with never worked directly with
(n=62) drug/alcohol dependent drug/ alcohol dependent
persons (n=23) persons (n=39)
[No (%)]
[No (%)] [No (%)]
Stakeholders that think that rehabilitation is
the more effective way to treat drug/alcohol 45 (73) 17 (74) 28 (72)
dependent persons.
Stakeholders that think that punishment/
incarceration is the more effective way to 0 (0) 0 () 0 (0)
treat drug/alcohol dependent persons.
Stakeholders that think that combining
rehabilitation and punishment is a more
17(27) 6(26) 11(28)
effective way to treat drug/alcohol dependent
persons.
Stakeholders that think that demand reduction
is the more effective way to control substance 4 (6) 0 (0) 4 (10)
abuse.
Stakeholders that think that supply reduction
is the more effective way to control substance 1(100) 0 (0) 1 (100)
abuse.
Stakeholders that think combining demand
and supply reduction is a more effective way 57 (92) 10 (43) 12 (31)
to control substance abuse.
Table 3: Stakeholders’ views on effective approaches to substance abuse
15

16. 2.2.2. Views on strategies for developing effective and sustainable substance abuse
interventions
Stakeholders responses focused on three major themes: collaboration amongst stakeholders;
advocacy and community sensitization; and research, policy development and implementation.
The most common theme identified from stakeholders’ responses was a strong consensus on the
need for collaboration amongst relevant stakeholders and organization. A university lecturer
stated that there was a need to form a coalition of relevant stakeholders. She further argued that a
coalition will result in a “common and stronger voice” and that the government and donor
agencies would be more inclined to listen to their advocacy messages.
Majority of stakeholders emphasized the need for advocacy and community sensitization through
the media, in the schools as well as grass roots campaign. Proponents of this view argued that
since substance abuse had not been given adequate attention and that the key decision makers in
the problem were yet to recognize it as a public health problem, advocacy and community
sensitization was an appropriate way of drawing attention to the problem and consequently
developing effective and sustainable substance abuse interventions.
While majority of stakeholders highlighted the need for policy development and implementation,
a fraction of them noted that research findings needed to be integrated into policy development
and implementation. As stated by a stakeholder who is a Public Health Researcher,
We need to know the effect substance abuse has had, the persons involved, the extent of
involvement and the seriousness of existing laws. Armed with this information, we can
then adopt workable policies that can sustainably tackle this menace not partially, but if
possible, permanently.
A HIV Project Coordinator however noted that a lot of stakeholders in Nigeria relied more on
data from other countries for the development of interventions which were sometimes not
effective because they were not culturally competent. She therefore called for a closer look at
studies conducted in the country.
In addition to the call for research studies, a government official highlighted the need to ensure
that findings from research studies were properly disseminated and utilized by the relevant
decision makers.
16

17. A smaller group of stakeholders however had a different opinion about research and policy
development. A psychiatrist argued that research studies were available and a lot more were
being conducted but that it was necessary to systematically review what was available. A few
other stakeholders further argued that policies were already in place but were not effective for
various reasons. According to a stakeholder working in a managed care organization,
The various policies for addressing this problem and indeed all other problems in
Nigeria exist. Why they fail to work is the same reason why all other sectors of this
country have failed; square pegs in round holes.
This group of stakeholders called for the effective implementation of policies for controlling
substance abuse. Some policies suggested include, designating specific locations for the sale of
alcohol as well as putting age restrictions on the purchase of alcohol so as to limit the rate of
alcohol consumption in general and cut off supply of the substance to under aged persons
respectively.
17

18. 3. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
This study was aimed at providing information that as much as possible reflects stakeholders’
views on substance abuse and on the development of effective and sustainable interventions to
tackle substance abuse in Nigeria. Stakeholders’ responses are therefore not perceived in this
report as being either correct or incorrect but are considered as viewpoints.
The general perception that the magnitude of substance abuse in the country is quite enormous
supports international and local study reports which show that the prevalence of substance abuse
in Nigeria is high and has rapidly increased over the years (10; 11; 1). Despite the general
consensus on the magnitude of substance abuse in the country, stakeholders have varying views
on issues such as the act of substance abuse, vulnerable populations, factors associated with the
problem as well as the implications of the problem. During the study, the views of majority of
stakeholders who had worked directly with substance abusers tended to be more liberal, while
that of stakeholders who had never worked directly with substance abusers were more
conservative. These variations may be due to the fact that the two groups of stakeholders are
more likely to have different understanding of the problem owing to their different training and
experiences with the problem. Furthermore, the culture of the Nigerian people may also
influence the way stakeholders view substance abuse. Unlike in some western countries where
substance abuse is seen as a medical condition which the individual has no control of, substance
abuse in developing countries like Nigeria is seen from the moral or cultural perspective which
defines the problem as a conscious choice made by morally- and/or spiritually-deficit individuals
who should be held responsible for their actions (12).
Notwithstanding the varying positions on the substance abuse in Nigeria, a general appraisal of
stakeholder responses indicate that despite the gloomy state of the problem, the potential to
develop and implement effective and sustainable substance abuse interventions in the country
exists.
While stakeholders unanimously agree that developing effective and sustainable substance abuse
intervention is vital in the fight against substance abuse in the country, their responses indicate
that a multifaceted approach involving collaboration amongst all stakeholders may be the more
appropriate way forward.
18

19. Therefore, having earlier noted the importance of understanding the views of stakeholders and
also getting them involved in the planning, implementation and evaluation of substance abuse
interventions, it is expected that the results of this study would serve a framework for making
decisions on issues related to the development of substance abuse interventions in Nigeria as
well for conducting further studies on issues highlighted in this study.
19

20. REFERENCES
1) United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. World Drug Report. New York : United
Nations Publications, 2011.
2) United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention. Global Illicit Drug
Trends. New York : United Nations, 2001.
3) National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. About NDLEA. [Online] 2009. National Drug
Law Enforcement Agency. [Cited: December 20, 2011.]
http://www.ndlea.gov.ng/v1/?q=node/1.
4) National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control. NAFDAC
Organization. [Online] 2010. National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and
Control. [Cited: December 20, 2011.]
http://www.nafdac.gov.ng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=138&Itemi
d=54.
5) Obot, IS. Ethical and legal issues in the control of drug abuse and drug trafficking: the
Nigerian case. Social Science and Medicine, 1992, 35(4): 481-493.
6) Obot, IS. Substance abuse, health and social welfare in Afirica: analysis of the Nigerian
experience. Social Science and Medicine, 1990, 31(6): 699-704.
7) Obot, IS. Responding to substance use problems in Nigeria: the role of civil society
organizations. Substance Use and Misuse, 2004, 39(8): 1287-1299.
8) Onifade, PO, et al., et al. A descriptive survey of types, spread and characteristics of
substance abuse. Substanec Abuse Treatment, Prevention and Policy, 2011, 6: 25.
9) Gaynor, JR, et al., et al. Recognizing the role of stakeholders in drug, alcohol and
tobacco prevention and reduction programs. Atlanta : Paper presented at the annual
meeting of the American Educational Research Association in April 12-16, 1993.
20

21. 10) Oshodi, OY; Aina, OF and Onajole, AT. Substance use among secondary school students
in an urban setting in Nigeria: prevalence and associated factors. African Journal of
Psychiatry, 2010, 13(1): 52-57.
11) Ebirim, ICC and Morakinyo, OM. Prevalence and perceived health effect of alcohol use
among male undergraduate students in Owerri, South-East Nigeria: a descriptive cross-
sectional study. BMC Public Health, 2011, 11: 118-124.
12) Fields, R. Drugs in Perspective. 7th Ed.: McGraw-Hill, 2009.
21

22. FREEDOM FOUNDATION
24 HENRY ADEFOWOPE CRESCENT,
AWUSE ESTATE, OPEBI,
IKEJA, LAGOS,
NIGERIA
Telephone: 0808729000
Email: info@freedomfoundationng.org; Website: www.freedomfoundationng.org
22