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Skyrocketing drug costs: Before Tinubu’s Executive Order
- By Calixthus Okoruwa
This is a very bad time for anyone to fall ill. Prices of drugs have shot through the roof and medicines are now increasingly out of the reach of the ordinary Nigerian. It is particularly bad for the millions of Nigerians suffering from chronic illnesses like hypertension, diabetes and glaucoma, who are required to take their medicines for the rest of their lives.

Sundry media reports indicate that in the circumstances, many Nigerians are now resorting to herbal and other concoctions, some of doubtful safety and efficacy.

It is not a good time for the pharmaceutical sub-segment of the health sector, either. No fewer than two major pharmaceutical multinationals have since exited the country, in the face of the difficult operating conditions. With operational difficulties hallmarked by high energy costs, forex challenges, multiple taxes and hordes of bureaucratic hurdles, local pharmaceutical companies are in a tough battle for survival.

In response to the dire situation, President Tinubu is reportedly working on an Executive Order to bring down the cost of drugs in Nigeria.

While it is unfortunate that things in the sector have come to this sorry pass, the situation, paradoxically presents Nigeria with a great opportunity to holistically redress the issues with its pharmaceutical sector and set the country on the path to self-sufficiency and vibrant economic growth.

Nigeria’s current pharmaceutical industry is replete with depressing statistics. Many pharmaceutical companies produce at a fraction of installed capacity. Not surprisingly, the local pharmaceutical industry is unable to meet the domestic demand for medicines and accounts for less than 30% of medicines consumed locally. The balance of 70% comprises drugs imported from all over the world including China, India and interestingly, Bangladesh.

Bangladesh used to occupy a prime position as one the poorer countries of the world. Slowly and surely, its pharmaceutical industry, together with its garment and leather industries are helping to putting a lie to this by collectively driving GDP growth in the country.

The Bangladeshi pharmaceutical industry in particular, portends a number of lessons that Nigeria can learn from if we are to considerably obviate if not completely eliminate the fundamental problems afflicting the pharmaceutical sector and by extension the health and wellbeing of millions of citizens in Nigeria and the wider West Africa sub-region.

In the 1970s and early 1980s the situation of the pharmaceutical industry in Bangladesh was very similar to Nigeria’s. Its local pharmaceutical industry existed on the fringes of an industry that was dominated by the multinational drug companies. The multinational companies, were not only unwilling to set up manufacturing operations in Bangladesh but also flooded the country with all manner of drug products, many of questionable usefulness. Despite its huge population, Bangladesh like Nigeria, relied primarily on imports to the meet the majority of its drug needs.

Things took a dramatic turn for the better from 1982 when Bangladesh developed and adopted a new drugs policy to radically overhaul the pharmaceutical sector.

The Bangladeshi 1982 Drugs Ordinance set out a number of prescriptions for the pharmaceutical sector. Fundamentally, it sought to protect the local pharmaceutical industry to enable it get a foothold in the country and drive its growth. For instance the law, as the ordinance soon metamorphosed to, drastically reduced the number of drugs in circulation, eliminating wasteful and spurious drugs of doubtful efficacy. In addition, only multinational corporations which had manufacturing operations in Bangladesh were permitted to sell their products in the country. Furthermore, drugs which could be produced locally or their substitutes were no longer permitted to be imported. Citizens had to make do with what was produced in the country.

Faced with what they claimed was a hostile operating environment, multinational corporations either drastically cut down on their operations or like the then multinational, Squibb, exited the country altogether.

With the onus to save the country’s pharmaceutical sector now resting squarely on its shoulders, Bangladesh’s domestic pharmaceutical industry picked up the gauntlet and went to work.

Among a number of strategies the local industry aggressively strove to build domestic skill and capacity, this included transferring skill from those who had worked in multinational drug manufacturing firms to others. In addition, with government support, it laboured to enhance rural penetration of pharmaceutical products. Rapidly and steadily, the country’s indigenous pharmaceutical industry amassed cross-sector expertise and experience, growing in leaps and bounds in the process.

Read Also: NAFDAC shuts down 10 substandard bakeries, eight water factories in Rivers

Today, Bangladesh produces medicines to meet the needs of more than 97% of its population and exports medicines to well over 100 different countries around the world. In addition, more than 19 different domestic pharmaceutical companies in Bangladesh produce active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) the core ingredients used in drug manufacture. Nigeria only has one company in the throes of producing API.

Bangladesh is manufacturing packaging materials for pharmaceutical products, whereas these are largely imported in Nigeria. In addition, beyond producing the simpler medicines like syrups, tablets and creams, Bangladesh has long begun production of the more complex medications such as Insulin, human hormones, vaccines, anti-cancer drugs and many more.

The Bangladeshi pharmaceutical industry has, on the back of the historic law which the country enacted in 1982, emerged as a wonderful success story for Bangladesh, helping it to meet the country’s drug needs, providing hundreds of thousands of jobs both directly and indirectly for its citizens, enhancing the country’s export earnings and contributing significantly to growing the country’s GDP.

President Tinubu’s forthcoming executive order can imbibe a few lessons from Bangladesh’s success story. There is a need to protect the domestic pharmaceutical industry and challenge it but also to empower it with the wherewithal to solve the drug needs not only of Nigeria but the wider West Africa region. Borrowing a leaf from Bangladesh, the country can rule that medicines that are produced locally for instance, must no longer be imported.

Government can also help to enforce order and professionalism in the drug distribution landscape, ensuring that prescription medicines for instance, are only dispensed on the order of medical doctors and pharmacists. Thankfully, the House of Representatives appears to have begun such a move. Streamlining distribution in this manner will in turn enhance traceability and regulatory oversight, reduce drug addiction and help to drastically reduce the prevalence of fake and sub-standard drugs.

President Tinubu’s Executive Order needs to deliberately embody a long-term perspective. Let it back the local manufacturing industry with the incentives and wherewithal to grow. It should empower the local pharmaceutical industry with an intelligent taxation scheme that promotes growth. A 5% tax on a thriving pharmaceutical industry worth N500b is eminently worth more than a 40% tax on a moribund pharmaceutical industry worth N10b. Taxation would need to be more futuristic and prepared to reap long-term gains.

President Tinubu’s Executive Order should also facilitate systematic access to affordable capital. In return, it should make these domestic corporations accountable to the country by way of specific key performance indicators which can be jointly agreed by government and the industry.

Like the telecom industry which embraced rapid and widespread growth on the back of the revolutionary Nigerian Telecoms Act of 2000, Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry can unleash a strong wave of economic growth and development in the face of painstakingly crafted and expertly executed policy. President Tinubu must seize this moment to make a long-lasting difference.

•Okoruwa, a pharmacist is also a communications professional. He writes from Lagos
March 13, 2024
Experts advise on proper drug handling

health professionals have advised on proper handling of drugs.

This was the view at an annual “Health Talk” to discuss escalating drug and substance abuse in Nigeria.

The event, shedding light on challenges posed by drug abuse, was organised by Redeemed Christian Church of God, Miracle Area, Lagos Province 57, Ojodu, Lagos.

Head of Pharmaceutical Microbiology & Biotechnology at University of Lagos, Dr. Henrietta Igbokwe, said drug abuse was an extreme desire to use increasing or decreasing quantities of one or more drugs.

She listed acts of drug abuse and misuse, such as forgetting to take prescribed medication, stopping medication upon recovery, and accepting prescription drugs from others.

Igbokwe cautioned against using personal funds to purchase madness or stupidity, stressing the potential for untimely death.

She urged parents to monitor their children for signs of drug abuse, listing brain and liver damage, impaired vision, cancer, respiratory illness, and premature death.

Read Also: President plans Executive Order to cut prices of drugs

Dr. Wale Ige, retired assistant commander general of Narcotics at National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), stressed the global nature of drug abuse.

He attributed poor parental care as a root cause, citing the adage to “train up a child in the way he should go.”

An anaesthetist and President of Medical Women Association of Nigeria, Dr. Funmi Ige, addressed the impact of drug abuse on patients requiring surgery.

She highlighted potential issues with reactions before, during, and after surgery, including hallucination, paranoia, and acute nausea.

Dr. Mabel Charles-Davies from College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, likened drugs to a thief, quoting from the book of John 10:10.

Moderator, Dr. Dominion Charles-Davies, hailed Pastor Godfrey Iluobe, initiator, for incorporating spiritual education with medical and mental enlightenment.

Pastor Iluobe began the programme in 2015 and has continued to address health issues through this initiative.

This year’s edition, held at the RCCG, Miracle Area, Lagos Province 57, marked the first of its kind in the parish, with Pastor Iluobe promising even greater events in the coming years.

February 29, 2024
Drug abuse and No gree for anybody mantra
- By Olufemi Fadahunsi
Sir: The year 2024 has been given an aggressive theme of “No gree for anybody” by young Nigerians.

In some quarters, “No gree for anybody” has become a personal creed for achieving success in the year. We have seen some businesses use it in adverts to send motivational messages urging Nigerians to be resilient in the face of adversity in the year.

By and large, the intention of the dogma was for every Nigerian not to give in to failure or any negative circumstances that might otherwise impede their progress and that of the country in the year.

There is no better context for the “No gree for anybody” mind-set than in the campaign against illicit drugs. In recent years, the surge in the abuse and trafficking of illicit substances among the youth has risen to an alarming proportion and has become one of the most disturbing concerns about the future of this country.

Despite the commendable efforts of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in seizing over 7,500 tonnes of illicit substances, arresting over 48,000 drug trafficking offenders and getting 8,350 of them convicted in court, there seems to be no let-up in the number of people who are doing drugs in this country. There is no week that NDLEA did not record significant seizures and arrests. That simply speaks volumes that more is needed to be done to curb the menace of illicit drugs on our streets and in our cities and communities.

From the published records of NDLEA, the fact that they have equally arrested over 46 drug barons in just three years, underscored the severity of the issue at hand.

By now, it should have become clear that relying solely on law enforcement is not enough. The fight against illicit substances requires social action involving the whole of society, and beginning at the individual level.

The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) already instituted by NDLEA is commendable. However, there is a need to raise the intensity of the advocacy such that society will be saturated with the message of the campaign to the extent that WADA will become a street slogan.

Be that as it may, the fight against the abuse of illicit drugs requires the strength, enthusiasm and cooperation of youth.

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The message has to get across to young people that illicit substances are a trap, a slippery slope that leads to addiction and ultimately a destructive end.

NDLEA needs to make a prudent intervention to ensure that the message resonates with the young generation.

Indeed, the agency has been seizing initiatives to create awareness, on its social media, and especially via its weekly X Space every Friday and through the WADA outreach to churches, mosques, schools, marketplace, parks and offices.

But to maximise the absorption of the message, it is also imperative to speak the language of the moment that resonates with young people who are the critical mass of the country’s population. That language presently is “No gree for anybody.”

While the NDLEA continues its commendable efforts to curb the supply and apprehend those responsible, it should also propagate the “no gree for drug abuse” mantra among youth.

This will further lend impetus to law enforcement efforts to curb the drug scourge.

•Olufemi Fadahunsi,

Ado Ekiti.
February 5, 2024
Positioning Nigeria as drug ingredients production hub

In the expansive landscape of Africa’s pharmaceutical sector, with an estimated market value of $30 billion, Nigeria currently holds a meager 1.5 per cent share, a figure poised to dwindle further due to the cessation of operations by some pharmaceutical companies in the country. However, a promising shift is on the horizon with a $23 million private-sector investment, supported by the European Investment Bank (EIB), in a state-of-the-art facility established by Emzor Pharmaceuticals, a homegrown drug manufacturing firm. This strategic investment has the potential to position Nigeria as a pivotal hub in sub-Saharan Africa for the production of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API). Such a transformation holds the promise of reversing the current trend, offering not only affordable medications and high-quality drugs but also contributing to increased employment opportunities and various other benefits for the Nigerian populace. Assistant Editor MUYIWA LUCAS reports

During the 2022 Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), the Health Policy Commission (HPC) painted a stark picture in its white paper titled “Enhancing Local Production of Medicines and Vaccines in Nigeria,” highlighting the potential challenges the country may face in this crucial area.

“Given its large market size, Nigeria has the potential to become a major player in the manufacturing and supply chain for pharmaceutical products in Africa. However, Nigeria still relies heavily on foreign supply of medicines and vaccines, with imports accounting for 70 per cent of local drug consumption. Nigeria also imports most of the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) needed for local production,” an extract from the white paper read.

Statistics from the 2023 edition of the Africa Pharmaceutical Market Outlook underscores the concerns raised by the HPC regarding the state of pharmaceuticals in Nigeria. The figures reveal that out of Africa’s estimated $30 billion pharmaceutical market, Nigeria accounts for only 1.5 per cent, placing it behind Morocco (1.6 per cent), Algeria (1.9 per cent), Egypt (2.6 per cent), and South Africa (3.9 per cent). The 2023 Africa Pharmaceutical Market Outlook delves deeper into the condition of the Nigerian pharmaceutical industry, emphasising a stark contrast. While South Africa relies on local sourcing for approximately 80 per cent of medicines, leveraging advanced technical infrastructure and ample skilled manpower for API synthesis, Nigeria, in contrast, sources only 25 per cent of its drugs locally. This striking discrepancy persists despite Nigeria hosting around 150 pharmaceutical manufacturers, the highest number in sub-Saharan Africa.

The developments in the first half of 2023 seem to be impacting the pharmaceutical sector, adding strain to an economy attempting to regain equilibrium after years of stagnation. The surge in foreign exchange rates, coupled with the persistent power challenges — forcing companies to allocate over 40 per cent of their overhead costs to purchase diesel for industrial operations — has intensified the business landscape, turning it into a survival test for enterprises.

In a notable example, last August, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria Plc, the country’s second-largest drug producer, made a significant announcement to halt its operations. This decision stemmed from the termination of exclusive marketing and distribution agreements by the company’s UK parent. According to a statement released on the Nigeria Exchange, GSK Plc, which holds a majority stake in the Nigerian unit, conveyed its intention to appoint third-party distributors for selling prescription medicines and vaccines within the country. Additionally, GSK’s consumer-health arm, Haleon Plc, expressed its intent to terminate the distribution agreement with GSK Nigeria in the coming months and appoint a third-party distributor. GSK outlined plans for an accelerated cash distribution and return of capital to minority shareholders.

While the company did not explicitly state the rationale behind its decision, GSK Nigeria had earlier acknowledged challenges in sustaining the supply of its pharmaceutical and vaccine products in the country. This struggle was attributed to a shortage of dollars necessary for importing crucial ingredients.

On November 8, 2023, another significant development unfolded as Sanofi, a French pharmaceutical multinational, discreetly disclosed its withdrawal from operations in Nigeria. The company revealed its decision to appoint a third-party distributor to manage its commercial portfolio of medicines starting February 2024. Annocing the decision, Sanofi’s General Manager (general medicines) and Country Lead, said: “This strategic move is driven by our commitment to continually improve access to our medicines and to better serve our patients and the Nigerian health system.” However, the company’s numbers indicate that it’s been struggling to keep its margins in Nigeria.

Upping the ante?

For a long time, leaders in the pharmaceutical sector have persistently emphasised the crucial need to prioritise drug security in the country, particularly at a time when healthcare is becoming increasingly inaccessible to many Nigerians. The exorbitant cost of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) poses a significant challenge for the industry, exacerbated by the escalating exchange rates against the naira, ultimately influencing the pricing of finished pharmaceutical products. An active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) serves as the fundamental component of both over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medications, playing a pivotal role in producing their intended health effects. In instances where a prescription drug has a generic version, its name corresponds to its API.

Currently, a staggering 90 per cent of the required Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) for local industries are imported, placing the industry in a precarious situation due to the challenging task of securing adequate foreign exchange for these essential components. Data from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) reveals a notable surge in the value of imported finished drugs, such as artemether/lumefantrine, escalating from N6.4 billion in 2018 to N12.1 billion in 2021. Similarly, imports of finished drugs, including sulfadoxine and pyrimethamine, witnessed a significant growth from N453 million in 2018 to N1.3 billion in 2021.

However, a transformative shift is on the horizon with the imminent completion of a $23 million two-phased API production plant by Emzor Pharmaceuticals, located in Sagamu, Ogun state. Upon completion, this facility is poised to generate 400 metric tonnes of APIs annually. The project is financed through a €13.85 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB). Emeka Okoli, Chairman of Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries, clarified that the €13.85 million loan from the European Investment Bank covers 60 per cent of the ambitious project. This project will initially concentrate on four anti-malaria APIs: artemether, lumefantrine, sulfadoxine, and pyrimethamine. Future phases will expand into three more areas, ultimately creating over 500 jobs.

Read Also: NDLEA arraigns SAHCO Manager, seven officials for ‘aiding banned drug smuggling’

This substantial volume of APIs, equivalent to approximately 200 large shipping containers, has the capacity to produce millions of medication doses. Notably, this initiative is a significant shift for a country that heavily relies on importing over 90 per cent of its APIs. Industry stakeholders express relief as Emzor’s venture into APIs signals a promising future for enhanced local drug production and broader raw material markets within the industry. Furthermore, local production of these APIs eliminates one commercial transaction, ensuring that profits remain within the value chain. This positions Nigerian drug manufacturers with a competitive edge against finished imports, primarily sourced from India and China.

At full operating capacity, Okoli sees local production growing significantly cheaper than imports. “Not only are you saving on your input cost because you are doing it yourself, you are not paying a foreign person profit on that aspect of your production. The Nigerian market is more than we can produce. We enter the market completely with imports from India and China as competitors,” he said.

Okoli emphasised another noteworthy advantage of local API production—the ability to cater to the needs of smaller manufacturers who may not afford large consignments, which are often the minimum requirement for foreign orders. Locally, these smaller entities can secure as little as two tonnes of APIs, fostering inclusivity in the industry. Arthur Delor, the Investment Officer from the European Investment Bank (EIB), explained that the bank provided Emzor with the means to proactively combat the high prevalence of malaria in Nigeria, a country with the largest burden and records of deaths globally due to this disease. He expresses optimism that fortifying a consistent supply of APIs within the country will elevate manufacturing standards, leading to increased job opportunities and employment prospects for Nigerians.

“We are very excited about this operation and are confident that the development of this facility will bring many benefits to Nigerians and the broader African pharmaceutical sector, as it will contribute to reducing import dependency and ensuring a local and more resilient supply of high-quality competitively priced anti- malaria API,” said Delor.

Frankline Keter, the Chief Executive Officer of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients For Africa (APIFA), a non-profit organisation based in Kenya, focused on assisting local producers in investing and expanding their operations, emphasised that the collaboration with Emzor aligns with the goal of enhancing access to quality and affordable medicines for people across the continent. “What we are trying to do with Emzor together with the support of EIB is to build another supply chain centre globally. The issue is not just about the self-sustainability of Nigeria but about Africa becoming a centre of the supply chain so that we can take care of our needs in case of any challenges and things can move from here to Asia and Europe as well,” Keter said.

Keter recalled that at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the disruption in the supply chain of essential raw materials led Nigeria, along with many other African nations, to rely on aid for access to life-saving vaccines. This situation underscores the importance of backward integration, particularly in critical stages of production like Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API), to achieve self-sufficiency. Local industry operators, speaking on the matter, lauded Emzor for its bold and courageous investment, especially at this crucial juncture in the economy. They foresee the investment breathing new life into the local pharmaceutical industry and positively impacting the entire industrial landscape of Nigeria. Overall, the outlook appears promising, positioning Emzor as a potential new giant in the West African health sector.

January 19, 2024
Drug war: Marwa, UNODC experts harp on alternative development strategy

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa (Retd) has harped on the imperative of an alternative development strategy to curtail illicit drug production, and trafficking and protect the environment from exploitation by drug cartels.

Marwa stated this while highlighting the need for concerted and collaborative efforts in curbing illicit drug trafficking at an NDLEA Special Purpose Committee meeting on the Alternative Development project in Nigeria, held at the national headquarters of the Agency in Abuja, on Thursday.

This was according to a statement by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, Femi Babafemi, on Friday, December 15.

According to the statement, the same position was canvassed by other experts from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) office in Vienna, Austria, and Nigeria as well as other stakeholders across the country who spoke at the meeting.

Marwa declared: “Without doubt, illicit drug cultivation and production have contributed significantly, not only in threatening the national and global security but also in modifying the natural ecosystem with severe consequences evidenced in environmental degradation which has impacted negatively on the climate and human health.”

While spotlighting the record of achievements of the agency as evidenced in huge seizures of assorted illicit drugs, destruction of large hectares of cannabis plantations, dismantling of clandestine laboratories, arrest and prosecution of high profile suspects, and confiscation of valuable assets, Marwa emphasized the need to provide sustainable alternative means of livelihood for illicit drug traffickers.

He stated: “Now that they are fast losing ground in the illicit drug business as a result of heavy clamp down on them, they may go into other crimes. We therefore need to provide sustainable alternative means of engaging them so that we do not recycle illicit drug dealers in the world of crime.”

The NDLEA boss who was represented by his Special Adviser on National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP), Otunba Lanre Ipinmisho, identified crop substitution as well as education as vital tools that will be employed by the agency towards achieving the objectives of the Alternative Development programme.

He said: “In our efforts to provide people-centered sustainable and legitimate alternatives to illicit drugs, we will set up structures to provide education to the people on the dangers that illicit drug cultivation and production pose to security and the environment.

“Also, as part of our crop substitution programme, we will develop strategies to attract investments into Alternative Development projects through a public-private partnership, particularly in the agricultural sector.”

He also noted the importance of community buy-in as a key element for a successful programme.

Marwa noted: “We must engage members of the grassroots, youths and women groups, traditional and religious leaders, and some other influential personalities in the public and the private sectors for effective partnership support in order to achieve our desired success in the implementation of the alternative development.”

The UNODC’s consultant on the Alternative/Sustainable Livelihoods Team in Vienna, Austria, Dr. Jorrit Kamminga, commended NDLEA as one of the pioneer anti-narcotics agencies that are including Alternative Development in their initiatives to fight illicit drug trafficking.

He said: “I think Nigeria can effectively play a leading role in Africa when it comes to showing how alternative development and similar alternative livelihood initiatives can help to deal with illicit cannabis cultivation as well as with other challenges of the world drug problem.

“In fact, you can play the role of spearheading by showing other African countries who (perhaps except for Morocco) have limited experience with alternative development. I think Nigeria could also play a leading role if it takes on board the importance of the environment and biodiversity from the start.”

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While attesting to the timeliness of the NDLEA in pursuing Alternative Development as a line of action, which coincided with the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Alternative Development, Dr. Kamminga emphasized the need for inclusionary measures to be considered for a sustainable programme.

He stated: “Social cohesion, inclusivity and cooperative efforts going beyond traditional family units are crucial to building meaningful resilience against poverty, conflict and instability. An important success factor of alternative development in this regard has been the promotion of associativity.

“Producers’ associations or farmers’ organizations are critical not only to facilitating farmers’ shift to licit crop cultivation, but also to protecting their long-term commercial interests against counter-productive incentives created by possible short-term but unsustainable profits”, he stated.

Other experts who made presentations on alternative development at the meeting include Engr. Nurudeen Aderinto; Dr. Jonah Kolo; Julius Bawa Parah; Prof. Oluwatoyin Odeku; Dr. Nkereuwem Williams Ebiti and Dr. Martins Agwogie.

December 15, 2023
Drug use kills more young Americans than guns, accidents, says Biden

President Joe Biden has said more people in the United States between the ages of 18 to 49 die from drug use than from guns, car accidents, or any other cause.

He identified the drug as fentanyl.

A statement from the White House on Thursday said America and China were restarting cooperation on counternarcotics.

“In 2019, you may remember, China took action to greatly reduce the amount of fentanyl shipped directly from China to the United States. But in the years since that time, the challenge has evolved from finished fentanyl to fentanyl chemical ingredients and — and pill presses, which are being shipped without controls. And, by the way, some of these pills are being inserted in other drugs, like cocaine, and a lot of people are dying.

“More people in the United States between the ages of 18 to 49 die from fentanyl than from guns, car accidents, or any other cause. Period,” Biden said.

The President added that action was being taken to significantly reduce the flow of precursor chemicals and pill presses from China to the Western Hemisphere.

“It’s going to save lives, and I appreciate President Xi’s commitment on this issue.

“President Xi and I tasked our teams to maintain a policy and law enforcement coordination going forward to make sure it works.

“I also want to thank the bipartisan congressional delegation to China, led by Leader Schumer, in October for supporting efforts — this effort so strongly,” he said.

Biden said both countries were going to get their experts to discuss risk and safety issues associated with artificial intelligence.

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He said: “As many of you who travel with me around the world almost everywhere I go — every major leader wants to talk about the impact of artificial intelligence.

“These are tangible steps in the right direction to determine what’s useful and what’s not useful, what’s dangerous and what’s acceptable.

“Moreover, there are evidence of cases that — that I’ve made all along: The United States will continue to compete vigorously with the PRC. But we’ll manage that competition responsibly so it doesn’t veer into conflict or accidental conflict.

“And where it’s possible, where it is in our interests are — coincide, we’re going to work together, like we did on fentanyl.

“That’s what the world expects of us — the rest of the world expects, not just in — people in China and the United States, but the rest of the world expects that of us. And that’s what the United States is going to be doing.”

November 17, 2023
Protecting children from drug-trafficking parents
- By Nanzem Nkup
Sir: The rate at which women are involved in the illicit trade of drug trafficking is alarming and should be a subject of concern to the Nigerian public. In the past three months, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) announced the arrest of an unprecedented number of female suspects. One of them was the alleged female head of a drug syndicate, whose name was given as Faith Ebele Nwankwo, who was arrested at her residence in Lagos, shortly after she returned from a warehouse at Amuwo-Odofin, where she loaded eight cartons of tramadol 225mg into an unmarked white Honda Pilot SUV.

Similarly, a Lekki, Lagos, female lawyer, Ebikpolade Helen, alleged to have specialised in the production and distribution of skuchies, a New Psychoactive Substance (NPS) that is a mixture of cannabis, opioids, and black currant, was arrested in a follow-up operation in Awka, Anambra State, following an earlier seizure of 5kg cannabis and 12 bottles of prepared skuchies in her apartment at Lekki. In the first week of October, there was a mugshot of a 45-year-old woman identified as Bilikisu Mohammed Bello who was arrested at Kano airport on her way to Saudi Arabia with cocaine and methamphetamine. A week earlier, two women were arrested with bags of cannabis.

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These women are among a long list of women arrested by NDLEA in the past three months.

What is appalling about their situation is that they conducted their illicit businesses in their homes, where they lived with their children.

This should be of concern to Nigerians. And we should start pondering: What kind of children are these women raising? Again, this raft of arrests of female traffickers should also turn our attention to the possibility that not all teenagers picked drug abuse or drug trafficking habits from friends and peers. Some of them actually ‘inherited’ the habit from their families. If a mother or father sells cannabis or any other illicit drugs for a living, what is the possibility that the child will deviate from the ‘family’ business? What is the possibility that the child will not end up as a user?

This is not about women alone but about parents in general. It is disheartening to see fathers and grandfathers dealing in drugs, like in the case of Boniface Ogwurlobi, 62, and Chimezie Onyenjuru, who were arrested at Uli town, Ihila LGA, Anambra State, with 49kg of cannabis sativa, 127g of methamphetamine, and 15g of cocaine.

Do we seriously expect their offspring not to be interested in the livelihood of their parents?

In our collective drive¯spearheaded by NDLEA¯to rid our country of the menace of dangerous drugs, we need to pay attention to children from homes where parents are active producers and traffickers.

As a society, the onus is on us to protect the rights of the child, and this includes looking out for their wellbeing and ensuring that they grow up in a wholesome environment where they will not be introduced to abnormal behaviour by their families.

The NDLEA should expand its WADA advocacy campaign to target community leaders, religious leaders, and teachers to further amplify the message to parents to think about the future of their offspring before venturing into the trade and trafficking of illicit substances.

•Nanzem Nkup,

Rikkos, Jos
November 7, 2023
Nigerians must rise to defeat drug scourge, say Marwa, Oborevwori

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State have stated that for Nigeria to defeat the twin evil of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking, Nigerians must rise in unison to stamp out the scourge from communities and cities across the country.

They agreed on this in their remarks when the NDLEA boss paid the governor a courtesy visit at the Government House in Asaba, the state capital during his three-day working visit which ended on Friday 3rd November 2023.

Explaining his mission to the governor and members of his executive council at the executive chamber of the Government House where he was received along with senior NDLEA officials who accompanied him, Marwa said he was visiting Delta to personally condole the family of Mr. Fidelis Omhonrina over the tragedy of the unintended death of young Ivan and the wounding of his brother, Eromosele, as a result of a ricocheted bullet that strayed 600 metres away from the scene of an NDLEA encounter with some notorious drug dealers on 13th July in Asaba.

He said he’s equally in the state to assess the operational needs of the Delta state command and Delta Ports command of the Agency with a view to mobilizing officers and men of the two formations to go all out for drug cartels operating in the state. He also added that his third mission was to rally stakeholders key to a successful fight against the drug menace in Delta with a 2018 prevalence rate of 18%.

He said with a projected rate of 40% rise in drug abuse in Africa by 2030, all well-meaning Nigerians and organisations must unite behind the anti-narcotics agency in its ongoing renewed efforts in drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction.

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While encouraging the governor to intensify his poverty alleviation programmes to address youth unemployment, which is a major trigger for substance abuse, Marwa asked for logistics support for the two Commands in the state, setting up drug control committees from state to local government and community levels as well as provision of rehabilitation centres in each of the three senatorial zones of the state.

He commended the governor for his good works within a short time in office and his commitment to the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the state.

In his response, Governor Oborevwori celebrated Marwa for always providing quality leadership and unflinching dedication to duty in all national assignments assigned to him.

According to him, “We know your antecedents as military governor in Borno and Lagos state. And under your leadership, NDLEA has recorded successes in going after drug cartels. This momentum must be sustained if we have to win the war against illicit drugs.”

November 4, 2023
Taking the drug war to the grassroots
- By Adekunbi Lawal
Sir: A few weeks ago, when it was in the news that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) graduated a new set of narcotics agents from training and another 2500 cadets due to pass out in a month’s time, the significance of that development was not immediately clear to Nigerians.

Not until last week, when the chairman and chief executive officer of the agency, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), unveiled the plan to deploy anti-narcotic agents to the 774 local government areas of the country.

This is good news for the citizens of this country. We all can attest to the extraordinary performance of the agency in the past 33 months as it worked to curb the menace of illicit drug use and trafficking in our society.

The performance of NDLEA since Marwa took over its helm has been superlative, a fact no right-minded citizen would oppose.

The number of arrests made weekly and the quantity of seizures recorded so far, not to mention the number of convictions in court, has shown Nigerians the severity of the illicit drug problem in the country.

By the same token, the NDLEA performance has restored the confidence of Nigerians in its capability to rid our country of this menace.

Read Also: Police smash child stealing syndicate, arrest one

While we can say with all sense of modesty that the country is in safe hands with Marwa and his NDLEA operatives, we shouldn’t overlook that some conditions must be met if the agency were to achieve its long-term objectives of making our society safe.

For instance, until October 17, the NDLEA workforce was about 9400, whereas the country’s population was over 200 million. We don’t have to stretch our imaginations to know that although the agency is working very hard, it lacks the numerical strength for effective policing against illicit drug trafficking.

That is why its latest recruitment of 5000 officers is a positive development. One can safely assume that the efficiency of NDLEA will increase once its workforce is beefed up with these new personnel.

Hearing Marwa confirm that NDLEA will post anti-narcotic agents in the 774 local government areas in 2024 is heart-warming. For Nigerians who are happy at the resurgence of the agency, this latest confirmation from Marwa reinforces the belief that the agency’s present rich vein of form is not a flash in the pan but a carefully planned reform that is sustainable well into the future and to the benefit of Nigerians.

•Adekunbi Lawal,

Jabi, Abuja
October 30, 2023
African anti-narcotics bodies seek specialised courts for drug cases, money laundering

Heads of drug law enforcement agencies in Africa have called for the setting up of specialized courts to try drug cases and other organized crimes across the continent.

This was part of recommendations adopted at the end of the weeklong 31st Meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies, Africa (HONLAF) in Abuja on Friday 29th September.

They said governments should consider the establishment of national specialised courts and asset recovery offices dealing with organised crime and money laundering and supporting tracing, recovering and management of proceeds of crime.

Governments were encouraged to make effective and full use of existing informal regional and international cooperation instruments aiming at facilitating investigations and prosecuting organised crime including drug crimes and related money-laundering.

Such instruments include West African Network of Central Authorities and Prosecutors (WACAP), Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network for Southern Africa (ARINSA), Asset Recovery Inter-Agency Network of West Africa (ARINWA) as well as the UNODC CRIMJUST programme.

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They also urged governments in African countries to promote cooperation and sharing of best practices in the confiscation of proceeds of crime, including drug-related cases.

They also urged the governments to adopt adequate legal and regulatory frameworks on virtual assets, including cryptocurrencies, to prevent and combat their use for drug-related crime and money-laundering.

Other recommendations adopted by the HONLAF working group during the annual meeting include asking African governments “to develop and implement drug policy responses that address, indirectly or directly, the environmental impact of illicit crop cultivation, drug manufacture and drug use, taking into consideration positive and negative effects;

“Governments are encouraged to empower indigenous people, youth groups and local communities to protect the land, forest reserves and water sources in their areas, making the best of local knowledge and in line with local interests and needs.”

October 1, 2023