As the world marks the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Women Empowerment and Legal Aid (WELA) joins the global community in amplifying this year’s theme: “Break the Cycle #StopOrganizedCrime.”
At WELA, we believe that the fight against drug abuse must go beyond arresting traffickers or users—it must reach the heart of the societal and economic injustices that fuel both drug use and the criminal networks that profit from it.
Drug dependency is not a problem exclusive to the rich or privileged. It is increasingly afflicting those in underserved urban slums and rural communities across Nigeria—young people, women, and men battling unemployment, trauma, mental health challenges, and despair. Many turn to drugs not for pleasure, but to numb emotional pain, escape hardship, or simply survive.
Despite the rising need, there remains a critical shortage of affordable and accessible rehabilitation services for the poor. While private and non-governmental organisations like WELA strive to fill this gap, the public sector’s involvement remains inadequate. Far too many families in need are left without options—and this abandonment deepens the very cycle we are trying to break.
To create real change, Nigeria must commit to sustainable, inclusive solutions:
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Establish and fund community-based rehabilitation and reintegration centres, especially for low-income populations.
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Expand access to mental health care, including counselling, in schools, prisons, and primary healthcare facilities.
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Reform drug policies to focus on treatment and rehabilitation rather than punishment and exclusion.
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Launch awareness campaigns that emphasise empathy, education, and prevention—especially among our youth.
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Address the root causes—poverty, unemployment, and social breakdown—so that fewer people turn to drugs in the first place.
Today, WELA calls on governments, public health bodies, the private sector, civil society, and the media to work together toward building a system that provides hope instead of stigma, care instead of condemnation, and second chances instead of cycles of trauma.
To truly break the cycle of drug abuse and organised crime, we must also break the cycles of neglect, inequality, and despair. Together, let us create a society where every Nigerian, regardless of background, has access to dignity, care, and opportunity.