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In a country with so many socio-political grievances, drug use impacts peace as a whole
In places affected by conflict, instability and humanitarian crisis, the issue of drug use is often overlooked and perceived as secondary to more pressing survival needs.
But new research by International Alert in Nigeria and the Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme (NSRP) suggests that drug use may actually exacerbate grievances and fuel violence in such contexts. Subsequently, the Nigerian government, civil society and development and humanitarian organisations can do more to understand drug use and its effect on security, and how drugs can be tackled in a way that fosters peace.
On the whole, Nigerians believe that drug use is on the rise. Law enforcement officials, drug users, health practitioners, community leaders and local residents we spoke to all shared this view.
They also see drug use as turning disputes violent, leading to deadly confrontations between different social groups and higher rates of sexual and gender-based violence. This link between drug use and violence creates a vicious cycle that, on the one hand intensifies drug users' exposure to and participation in violent acts, and, on the other, increases the stigma they face. Drug users are typically a marginalised group, mostly seen by communities as criminals and worthless, and this aggravates the issue further.
Drug use has also been described as particularly dangerous during political campaigns, as it has been reported that politicians and election candidates employ drug users to harass opposing voting blocs, and in environments where conflict dynamics between communities are already prevailing. In Borno State for example, many interviewees described drugs as having played a major role in the violent conflict involving Jama'atu Ahlis Sunnah Lida’awati Wal Jihad (JAS) – commonly known as Boko Haram, which has displaced up to 2.1 million people since 2009. One community leader, for example, said: “Most of the early Boko Haram recruits were drug addicts. They were jobless and society looked down on them, so Boko Haram recruited them, gave them money and guns, and empowered them. Many were happy to have joined.”
Drugs also play a major role in aggravating sexual and gender-based violence, and increase the level of stigma women experience. In a culture where drug use is strictly connected with masculinity, female users are perceived as bringing shame on families and can even be denied treatment.
Beyond more common drugs, the use of tramadol - an opioid-like synthetic painkiller - has been recognised as a concern in the region, with the Wall Street Journal publishing a special report in October 2016 calling tramadol the “opioid crisis for the rest of the world”. The research carried out for this report supports the premise that tramadol abuse is an underestimated and severe public health and social challenge in Nigeria. Despite being technically legal, tramadol was in fact widely mentioned during the research and described as a dangerous drug that provokes violence, causes addiction and can have a severe impact on the health and wellbeing of users.
To date, efforts to curb drug use have been insufficient and current law enforcement approaches have proven highly ineffective. Moreover, the shortage of available treatment options, often inaccessible to the poor and most marginalised, is perceived as having an important impact on security in Nigeria. As one medic pointed out: “There is no free treatment. There are many who want to come but cannot afford it because the money is not there. They are jobless, they are not educated, they want to be treated but they cannot afford it.”
In light of this, drug use in Nigeria must be addressed through improved public health and law enforcement responses. In addition, in a country with so many socio-political grievances related to lack of development and poor governance, as well as delicate relationships between different communities, drug use impacts peace as a whole, and so peacebuilding needs to happen alongside enforcement and health solutions.
This calls for a systemic approach that addresses the root causes of the violence underlying drug use, addresses marginalisation and builds stronger community bonds while creating dialogue opportunities to boost Nigeria’s social fabric - that is able to help rather than isolate users.
Additionally, the specific dangers that women face with regards to drug use, both in terms of their vulnerability to sexual violence and the additional stigma they face, must be an integral aspect of any successful peacebuilding or security approach.
This will require empathy, cooperation across sectors, and a commitment to policies that are informed by research and which reinforces the existing community structures and governmental agencies already engaged in tackling this issue.
Chiara Galletti is head of crime, violence and instability at International Alert.
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