Group raises alarm over drug abuse among workers, seeks workplace policies

An Abuja workshop marking International Workers’ Day highlighted growing concerns over drug and substance abuse, particularly among youths within organizations, as raised by the Institute for Public Safety and Prevention of Sociopathic Behaviour, and the African Youth Initiative on Crime Prevention (AYICRIP) Nigeria.

The two-day workshop, themed “Creating a Safe Work Environment and Enhancing Productivity for Organizational Sustainability,” addressed the critical issue of Drug and Substance Abuse Prevention in the Workplace.

“Institute for Public Safety and Prevention of Sociopathic Behaviour, and the African Youth Initiative on Crime Prevention (AYICRIP) Nigeria, have raised concerns over drug abuse, especially among youths within organizations.”

Ambassador Chris Ibe, Rector of the Institute, emphasized that this workshop represented the first national training focused specifically on workplace drug abuse prevention, organized in response to the escalating crisis and aligning with the 2025 International Workers’ Day theme.

“This is a huge concern to the global community, especially here in Nigeria where drug abuse is alarmingly high. According to the National Drug Use Survey, Nigeria has 14.4 million drug users, far above the global average,” Amb. Ibe stated.

He pointed out that while significant efforts have been directed towards reducing drug demand and supply, the issue of drug abuse within the workplace has largely been overlooked. “This is what we are addressing in partnership with AYICRIP,” he added.

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Drawing a connection between drug abuse and Nigeria’s low productivity levels, Amb. Ibe questioned, “We are a consumption nation. What is our productivity level? How much is drug and substance abuse contributing to this crisis?”

He described the dangerous trend of employees working under the influence, including instances of law enforcement officers being “drunk at work, drunk and driving.” He poignantly asked, “How can a drunk officer with a gun ensure safety? How productive can a drunk employee be?”

Amb. Ibe further inquired about the existence of organizational support systems for workers struggling with addiction, posing questions such as, “Do companies have recovery programmes? What are the existing workplace laws on drug and substance abuse?”

He noted that the workshop convened key stakeholders from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), civil society organizations, academia, and various government institutions, all with the aim of collaboratively identifying and implementing lasting solutions to the growing problem of workplace drug abuse.