Responding to Substance Use Problems in Nigeria: The Role of Civil Society Organizations

Abstract

This descriptive study assesses the role of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in drug demand reduction (DDR) in Nigeria. Sixty-two respondents, representing 45 organizations, participated in the survey in 2001. Most respondents were people with university education, and many were trained in health-related fields. A large majority (84%) were active in prevention work and 63% of them were engaged in research. Survey respondents reported that they were faced with many challenges in their work as DDR practitioners. These included poor funding or lack of it and inadequate information on drugs. Many also expressed the need for drug policy reforms in the country and an interest in further training in different areas of DDR. This article argues that a well-coordinated civil society participation is necessary in the control of drug problems in Nigeria. This goal can only be achieved in an environment where drug policy strikes a reasonable balance between supply and demand reduction efforts and, consequently, where support for DDR is seen as an integral part of drug control initiatives.

• Civil society
• NGOs
• Drug demand reduction
• Nigeria
• Africa

Resumen

En este estudio descriptivo se evalúa el papel desempeñado por las organizaciones no gubernamentales (ONG) en la reducción de la demanda de drogas (RDD) en Nigeria. Se contó con las respuestas de 62 encuestados, representantes de 45 organizaciones. La mayoría de los encuestados tenían estudios universitarios, y muchos habían recibido formación en campos relacionados con la salud. Una gran mayoría (84%) realizaba actividades de prevención, y el 63% participaban en investigaciones. Los encuestados declararon que tenían que hacer frente a numerosos problemas en su trabajo de RDD, entre ellos el escaso o nulo financiamiento y la falta de información suficiente sobre las drogas. Muchos se refirieron también a la necesidad de reformar la política sobre drogas en el país y expresaron su interés por una mayor capacitación en distintos aspectos de la RDD. En el artículo se sostiene que para controlar los problemas asociados a las drogas en Nigeria es necesario contar con la participación, debidamente coordinada, de la sociedad civil. Ello sólo podrá conseguirse en un entorno en el que la política sobre drogas permita hallar un equilibrio razonable entre la oferta y la reducción de la demanda y donde, por consiguiente, el apoyo a la RDD se considere una parte esencial de las iniciativas de fiscalización de drogas.

Résumé

Cette étude descriptive évalue le rôle des organisations non gouvernementales (ONG) dans la réduction de la demande en médicaments. Soixante-deux personnes interrogées, représentant 45 organisations, ont participé à l’enquête. La plupart avaient un niveau universitaire et beaucoup ont eu une formation dans des domaines relatifs à la santé. Une grande majorité (84%) travaille dans la prévention et 63 % dans la recherche. Les sujets interrogés ont déclaré devoir faire face à de nombreuses difficultés dans leurs efforts pour diminuer la demande en médicaments : financements insuffisants ou absents, manque d’information sur les médicaments. Nombre d’entre eux ont exprimé aussi le besoin de réformer la politique pharmaceutique et un intérêt pour une formation plus approfondie dans divers domaines relatifs à la réduction de la demande en médicaments. Les auteurs estiment que la participation coordonnée de la société civile est nécessaire pour résoudre les problèmes de médicaments au Nigéria. Cela ne pourra être le cas que si la politique pharmaceutique réussit à établir un équilibre raisonnable entre l’offre et la réduction de la demande et, par conséquent, on considère que l’aide à cette réduction fait partie intégrante des initiatives de contrôle.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Isidore S. Obot

Isidore S. Obot, Ph.D., is currently a scientist in the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse at the World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, where his responsibilities include the coordination of several international projects on the epidemiology of alcohol use and the prevention of alcohol-related problems?Before his short-term appointment at WHO Dr. Obot worked at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, as a NIH-sponsored research fellow in drug dependence epidemiology. Until recently, he was also a lecturer in the Department of Psychology, University of Jos, Nigeria.Dr. Obot received his doctorate degree in psychology from Howard University, Washington, DC, and a Master of Public Health degree from the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston. In 1990, together with colleagues at the University of Jos, he founded the non-profit Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse (CRISA) to focus greater attention on drug and alcohol issues in Nigeria.He has consulted for several national and international organizations on substance abuse issues and serves as editor of the African Journal of Drug and Alcohol Studies. Though his major interest is in alcohol epidemiology and the prevention of substance use, he has published on other aspects of the problem, including injecting drug use and drug control policies.