The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has disclosed that one in every four Nigerians involved in drug and substance abuse is a woman, while only one in every 20 persons receiving drug rehabilitation and treatment in the country is female
The UN agency also revealed that about 244 million people globally were engaged in drug and substance abuse in 2025, adding that drug use on the African continent is projected to rise by 40 percent by 2030.
According to the UNODC, the prevalence of drug use in Nigeria is alarmingly high, nearly three times above the global average.
These statistics were contained in a memorandum submitted by the agency to the House of Representatives ad hoc Committee investigating the rising cases of drug and substance abuse in the country.
The committee was chaired by Oluwatimehin Adelegbe (APC, Ondo).
The memorandum noted that although women account for one-quarter of drug users in Nigeria, they are grossly underrepresented in treatment facilities, with only one in 20 patients being female.
This, it said, suggests that stigma and other barriers to access are disproportionately affecting women and girls.
The UN agency warned that projections indicate drug use across Africa will increase by 40 percent by 2030. For Nigeria, this could translate to more than 20 million drug users, posing a severe threat to public health and national security.
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