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UNODC Raises Alarm Over Growing Global Illicit Drug Supply

Published

3 years ago

June 26, 2023

Ochuwa Ibrahim

UNODC Raises Alarm Over Growing Global Illicit Drug Supply

By: Michael Mike

Growing illicit drug supply and increasingly agile trafficking networks are compounding intersecting global crises and challenging health services and law enforcement responses, according to the World Drug Report 2023 launched by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Monday.

New data put the global estimate of people who inject drugs in 2021 at 13.2 million, 18 per cent higher than previously estimated. Globally, over 296 million people used drugs in 2021, an increase of 23 per cent over the previous decade. The number of people who suffer from drug use disorders, meanwhile, has skyrocketed to 39.5 million, a 45 per cent increase over 10 years.

The Report features a special chapter on drug trafficking and crimes that affect the environment in the Amazon Basin, as well as sections on clinical trials involving psychedelics and medical use of cannabis; drug use in humanitarian settings; innovations in drug treatment and other services; and drugs and conflict.

The World Drug Report 2023 also highlighted how social and economic inequalities drive – and are driven by – drug challenges; the environmental devastation and human rights abuses caused by illicit drug economies; and the rising dominance of synthetic drugs.

The report showed that demand for treating drug-related disorders remains largely unmet with only one in five people suffering from drug-related disorders were in treatment for drug use in 2021, with widening disparities in access to treatment across regions.

Youth populations are the most vulnerable to using drugs and are also more severely affected by substance use disorder in several regions. In Africa, 70 per cent of people in treatment are under the age of 35.

The report argued that public health, prevention, and access to treatment services must be prioritized worldwide, or drug challenges will leave more people behind. It further underscored the need for law enforcement responses to keep pace with agile criminal business models and the proliferation of cheap synthetic drugs that are easy to bring to market.

Reacting to the findings of the report, UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly said: “We are witnessing a continued rise in the number of people suffering from drug use disorders worldwide, while treatment is failing to reach all of those who need it. Meanwhile, we need to step up responses against drug trafficking rings that are exploiting conflicts and global crises to expand illicit drug cultivation and production, especially of synthetic drugs, fueling illicit markets and causing greater harm to people and communities.”

According to the report, the right to health is not granted to many people who use drugs; large inequalities in access and availability of controlled drugs for medical use persist, particularly for pain management; the disparity is particularly prevalent between the global North and South and across urban and rural areas, making some people feel the negative impact of drugs more than others.

Some 86 per cent of the world’s population live in countries with too little access to pharmaceutical opioids (as controlled under the 1961 Single Convention) – mainly low and middle-income countries; some impoverished and vulnerable populations, such as those in the tri-border area between Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, are trapped in rural areas with a high prevalence of drug-related crimes, with their remote locations make it exceedingly difficult for them to benefit from treatment services, resources, or the rule of law.

The report explained that the drug economy in the Amazon Basin is exacerbating additional criminal activities – such as illegal logging, illegal mining, illegal land occupation, wildlife trafficking and more – damaging the environment of the world’s largest rainforest. Indigenous peoples and other minorities are suffering the consequences of this crime convergence, including displacement, mercury poisoning, and exposure to violence, among others; environmental defenders are sometimes specifically targeted by traffickers and armed groups.

It stated that while the war in Ukraine has displaced traditional cocaine and heroin routes, there are signs that the conflict could trigger an expansion of the manufacture and trafficking of synthetic drugs, given the existing know-how and the large markets for synthetic drugs developing in the region: in the Sahel, the illicit drug trade finances non-state armed and insurgency groups, while in Haiti, drug traffickers take advantage of porous borders to bolster their businesses, fueling the country’s multiplying crises.

The report said while new research on the use of controlled drugs such as psychedelics to treat mental health conditions and substance use disorders shows promise, it however cautioned that the fast pace of developments could jeopardize efforts to enact policies that place public health concerns over commercial interests; without well-designed, adequately researched frameworks in place, there may be too little access for those who need treatment – potentially causing patients to turn to illegal markets – or conversely, the psychedelics may be diverted for non-medical use.

The report said the cheap, easy, and fast production of synthetic drugs has radically transformed many illicit drug markets; criminals producing methamphetamine – the world’s dominant illegally manufactured synthetic drug – are attempting to evade law enforcement and regulatory responses through new synthesis routes, bases of operation, and non-controlled precursors.

It raised the alarm that fentanyl has drastically altered the opioid market in North America with dire consequences, noting that in 2021, the majority of the approximately 90,000 opioid related overdose deaths in North America involved illegally manufactured fentanyls.

It was however said drug ban in Afghanistan may have reversed upward opium production trend; the 2023 opium harvest in Afghanistan may see a drastic drop following the national drug ban, as early reports suggest reductions in poppy cultivation, stressing that the benefits of a possible significant reduction in illicit opium cultivation in Afghanistan in 2023 would be global, but it will be at the expense of many farmers in the country who do not have alternative means of income generation.

It added that Afghanistan is also a major producer of methamphetamines in the region, and the drop in opiate cultivation could drive a shift towards synthetic drug manufacture, where different actors will benefit.

UNODC Raises Alarm Over Growing Global Illicit Drug Supply

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Gowon: US, UK Arms Ban Forced Nigeria to Seek Soviet Support During Civil War

Published

2 hours ago

May 21, 2026

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Gowon: US, UK Arms Ban Forced Nigeria to Seek Soviet Support During Civil War

By: Our Reporter

Former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, has revealed that the refusal of the United States and the United Kingdom to supply arms to Nigeria during the civil war forced his administration to seek military support from the Soviet Union and a Lebanese black market arms dealer.

According to Gowon, the unexpected alliances proved decisive in changing the course of the war, which lasted from July 1967 to January 1970.

The disclosure is contained in Chapter Fifteen of his 859 page autobiography, My Life of Duty and Allegiance, unveiled in Abuja on Tuesday. President Bola Tinubu was represented at the launch by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

In the chapter titled If The Devil’s Ready To Help, Gowon recounted the intense struggle his government faced in sourcing weapons as Nigeria’s ammunition reserves dwindled dangerously by late 1968. He revealed that the country’s stockpile had dropped to about half a million rounds for the entire Army, an amount he considered grossly inadequate for sustained military operations.

He explained that international restrictions on arms sales prevented Nigeria from replenishing its military supplies, despite the escalating demands of the conflict.

“As the weeks of fighting wore on, our stock of ammunition was steadily depleted, and we could not replenish them because international sales restrictions prevented suppliers from selling military hardware to Nigeria,” Gowon wrote.

The former military leader added that the shortage forced him to halt further military advances after the capture of Enugu, restricting federal troops to positions around Okigwe and Umuahia.

“Left with no choice, I ordered the Federal troops to hold their position because I could not, in clear conscience, commit them to further advance knowing that the ammunition to sustain the effort was in short supply,” he stated.

Gowon also expressed disappointment with the stance of Western powers, particularly at a time when the United States was heavily involved militarily in Vietnam and Cambodia.

He recalled holding what he described as one of the most significant meetings of the war with the British and American ambassadors, hoping to secure support for Nigeria’s military efforts.

“If I say I’m not disappointed, it will be an understatement,” he said while recounting the encounter.

Gowon noted that he reminded the diplomats of his responsibility to preserve Nigeria’s unity and protect all citizens and foreign nationals living in the country.

He further recalled telling them before their departure from the State House that he would seek assistance from anywhere necessary to defend the nation.

“I will go to any devil to get what I need to deal with the problem and do my duty to my country,” he said.

According to Gowon, both ambassadors left the meeting without making any commitment, but by then, he had already resolved to pursue alternative sources of military support.

Gowon: US, UK Arms Ban Forced Nigeria to Seek Soviet Support During Civil War

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Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS Holds Second Moot Court Competition in Dakar

Published

2 hours ago

May 21, 2026

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS Holds Second Moot Court Competition in Dakar

By: Michael Mike

The Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS is hosting the second edition of its annual Moot Court Competition in Dakar, bringing together law students, academics and legal practitioners from across West Africa in a regional initiative aimed at strengthening legal education and deepening understanding of Community law.

The three-day competition, scheduled for May 20 to 22, 2026, is part of the Court’s broader drive to promote awareness of its jurisdiction and jurisprudence while equipping the next generation of lawyers with practical advocacy, research and analytical skills.

Organised under the theme, “Today’s Students, Tomorrow’s Jurists,” the competition is expected to provide participants with hands-on exposure to simulated legal proceedings, enabling them to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world legal practice.

This year’s edition will feature eight universities from francophone ECOWAS member states, including Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal and Togo, while students from a university in Cape Verde will participate as observers. Each institution will field a team made up of two students and a faculty adviser.

The competition is structured in two phases — written and oral. During the written stage, participating teams prepare memorials for both the applicant and respondent based on a hypothetical legal dispute rooted in issues falling within the jurisdiction of the ECOWAS Court. The top-performing teams from the written assessments advance to the oral rounds.

The oral phase in Dakar will feature preliminary and semi-final rounds before designated panels, culminating in a grand finale where the two best teams will argue before a distinguished panel of judges. The event will end with an awards and closing ceremony recognising outstanding teams and participants, while a cultural tour is scheduled for May 23.

The maiden edition of the competition, held in Abuja in 2025, attracted participation from 13 Nigerian universities at the memorial stage, with eight advancing to the oral rounds. Ahmadu Bello University emerged overall winner of the inaugural edition.

Senior government officials from Senegal, members of the Senegalese judiciary and bar association, academics, media representatives, partner organisations and invited guests are expected to attend this year’s competition alongside judges and staff of the ECOWAS Court.

The Court said the initiative reflects its continued commitment to promoting legal excellence, strengthening access to justice and advancing human rights within the West African sub-region.

According to the Court, the programme is also designed to foster stronger institutional ties between the judiciary and academic institutions while nurturing a new generation of lawyers with deeper knowledge of Community law and regional integration mechanisms.

Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS Holds Second Moot Court Competition in Dakar

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Nigeria Unveils Net Zero Investment Plan to Unlock Climate Finance, Drive Green Growth

Published

12 hours ago

May 20, 2026

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Nigeria Unveils Net Zero Investment Plan to Unlock Climate Finance, Drive Green Growth

By: Michael Mike

The Federal Government of Nigeria has launched an ambitious Net Zero Investment Plan (NZIP), a major policy framework designed to mobilise climate finance, accelerate sustainable economic growth, and strengthen the country’s pathway to net zero emissions by 2060.

The plan, unveiled in Abuja by the National Council on Climate Change, represents a significant step in Nigeria’s efforts to translate its climate commitments into concrete investment opportunities capable of attracting both domestic and international financing.

Developed under the NDC Partnership’s “Global Call for NDCs 3.0 and LT-LEDS,” the framework received technical support from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and funding from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety through the International Climate Initiative.

The NZIP is expected to serve as a strategic roadmap for implementing Nigeria’s long-term climate agenda by identifying priority sectors for investment, outlining financing needs, and proposing mechanisms to bridge existing climate finance gaps.

Government officials said the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s broader economic transformation agenda and reinforces the country’s aspiration to emerge as a leading climate-responsive economy in Africa in line with the African Union Agenda 2063.

The investment framework builds on key national policies, including the Nigeria Agenda 2050, the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and the Long-Term Low-Emission Development Strategy (LT-LEDS), all of which provide the policy backbone for Nigeria’s transition toward sustainable and climate-resilient growth.

Under the LT-LEDS framework, Nigeria targets net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2060, while the NDCs outline short- and medium-term actions under the Paris Agreement.

Speaking at the launch, Country Director of GIZ, Markus Wagner, described the NZIP as a critical instrument for transforming climate goals into bankable projects capable of attracting large-scale investment.

According to him, the framework goes beyond policy declarations by providing a structured mechanism for mobilising public and private capital toward climate resilience, low-carbon industrialisation, and sustainable economic development.

Wagner noted that achieving net zero emissions would require strong collaboration among government institutions, development partners, financial organisations, and the private sector.

He said the plan demonstrates Nigeria’s determination to align climate action with economic development priorities while creating opportunities for innovation, green jobs, and long-term sustainable growth across strategic sectors of the economy.

Analysts say the launch of the NZIP could improve investor confidence in Nigeria’s green economy ambitions and position the country to access increasing pools of global climate finance targeted at low-carbon and climate-resilient development initiatives.

Nigeria Unveils Net Zero Investment Plan to Unlock Climate Finance, Drive Green Growth