Posted on: Fri 04-07-2025

Nigeria today stands at the precipice of a deepening mental health crisis, one that is silently but powerfully fuelled by the alarming rise in substance abuse across the country. At the heart of this crisis lies a troubling reality: one in seven Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 64 is entangled in the web of drug abuse, a statistic that paints a grim picture of the nation’s future. This sobering revelation formed the crux of discussions at the 7th Public Lecture of the Board of Fellows of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (BOF-PSN), where experts, policymakers, and human rights advocates gathered to confront this escalating public health emergency.

Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), delivered a stark assessment of the situation. As Guest of Honour at the event, he described how drug abuse has become a major driver of psychiatric disorders, especially among Nigeria’s youth. Marwa highlighted the staggering achievements of the NDLEA over the past year—seizures of over 200 million pills of Tramadol, the arrest of 95 drug barons and 66,000 traffickers, the confiscation of over 11 million kilograms of hard drugs, and 12,000 convictions secured. Yet, despite these victories, the battle is far from won.

Marwa painted a vivid picture of the human cost behind these numbers: shattered lives, broken families, and communities reeling under the burden of trauma, depression, anxiety, and social isolation. He spoke of the vicious cycle where these afflictions push many into substance use, which in turn deepens their mental anguish. Recounting a tragic incident from his tenure as Nigeria’s defence adviser to the United Nations—a mentally ill officer who, in 1994, killed a fellow peacekeeper during a mission in Yugoslavia—Marwa underscored the devastating consequences of untreated mental illness.

Beyond statistics and stories, Marwa issued a passionate call for a comprehensive national strategy anchored on prevention, treatment, and collaboration. He urged schools, faith-based institutions, the media, and healthcare professionals to join forces in promoting drug education and mental health awareness. Commending the PSN’s contributions, particularly the passage of the Pharmacists Council Act of 2023, he stressed the need for tighter control of prescription medications and decried the unchecked proliferation of illegal medicine shops, many of which peddle controlled substances without proper oversight.

The scale of the illicit drug trade, Marwa warned, is staggering. A single 40-foot container of Tramadol, he revealed, can fetch as much as N80 billion on the black market, illustrating the lucrative but deadly nature of this shadow economy. He emphasized the crucial role of pharmacists as frontline partners in the war against drug abuse and mental illness, promising greater inclusion of their expertise in NDLEA operations.

The event also spotlighted the stark realities of Nigeria’s mental health infrastructure. Pharm. Uche Apakama, Chairman of the BOF-PSN, lamented the yawning gap in mental health services, noting that over 40 million Nigerians struggle with mental disorders, while fewer than 250 psychiatrists are available nationwide to meet this overwhelming demand. He urged government investment in training pharmacists for mental health care and the establishment of stronger community support systems, emphasizing that mental health is no longer a fringe issue, but a matter of national priority.

Adding to these voices, consultant psychiatrist Dr. Gbonjubola Abiri reframed the discussion, calling mental health a basic human right that must be protected to ensure national stability and socio-economic progress. Dr. Abiri, alongside other experts like Dr. Veronica Okugbeni of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital and NDLEA’s Commander Abubakar Liman Wali, highlighted the complex intersection between drug addiction, poverty, and untreated mental illness, particularly in underserved urban areas.

Legislative leaders, too, lent their voices. Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, pledged support for policies that would improve mental health services, pointing to the Lagos State Mental Health Law of 2018 as an example of legislative action aimed at safeguarding vulnerable populations. He stressed that a society riddled with untreated mental illness is one destined for stagnation and instability.

In his closing charge, PSN President, Pharm. Ayuba Tanko Ibrahim, urged participants to see the event not as a mere academic exercise, but as a rallying call for united action. He declared the pharmacists’ readiness to lead the charge for mental health advocacy, insisting that the profession must play a central role in reversing the tide of this dual crisis of drug abuse and mental illness.

In the end, the message from the gathering was clear: Nigeria’s mental health crisis cannot be addressed without confronting the scourge of drug abuse head-on. It will require the collective will of government, professionals, communities, and families to break the cycle—and to offer hope to millions silently crying out for help.

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