The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has revealed that the over ₦110 billion worth of illicit drugs destroyed in recent months possess significant industrial and economic value, but must be incinerated due to Nigeria’s lack of United Nations certification to repurpose them for legitimate use.
While substances like Cannabis Sativa, Codeine syrup, Tramadol, and Methamphetamine could serve as ingredients in medical painkillers, hair growth products, and other industrial applications in other countries, Nigeria’s inability to legally process or re-direct these drugs is tied to international certification and treaty constraints.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that the NDLEA in a significant fight against drug trafficking through Nigeria’s maritime entry points, had reported the interception of over 56,000 kilograms of narcotics and psychotropic substances at the nation’s seaports alone during the first quarter of 2025.
According to NDLEA’s Director of Seaport Operations, Omolade Faboyede, the seizures occurred across major seaports. She detailed that the total volume of drugs confiscated at the ports amounted to 56,637.252 kilograms, including 64.252kg of Cannabis Indica (popularly known as Canadian Loud), 4,658kg of Cannabis Sativa, 50,845kg of codeine-based cough syrup, and 1,070kg of Tramadol.
Last month, NDLEA destroyed an additional 1.6 million kilograms of narcotics, including 123kg of cocaine, 46.8kg of heroin, 1.4 million kg of cannabis, and over 148,000kg of codeine syrup in Ipara, Ogun State, marking the largest incineration of seized substances in the agency’s history.
The NDLEA’s destruction of 1.6 million kg of hard drugs in April 2025 represents not just the largest drug seizure in its history, but also a devastating financial blow of over ₦110 billion to drug trafficking networks.
Experts affirm that many of the drugs currently being destroyed in Nigeria have useful and legitimate applications across various sectors, if properly refined and regulated. Around the world, these substances are utilized for therapeutic, cosmetic, and industrial purposes.
Experts disclosed that, Codeine, for instance, is a staple in medical practice, widely used as a pain reliever and cough suppressant. In more advanced healthcare systems, cannabis oil has become an essential part of treatment for cancer patients, individuals with epilepsy, and those suffering from chronic inflammation—especially in countries like Canada and Germany where its medicinal use is legitimate and well-regulated.
Tramadol, although a controlled substance, is routinely prescribed globally for the management of moderate to severe pain, offering relief to millions of patients. Even beyond medical use, derivatives of Cannabis Indica have found their way into the cosmetic industry, particularly in hair growth products marketed to women for their calming effect on the scalp and their ability to stimulate hair follicles.
Despite the growing body of research supporting the controlled use of these substances, they remain classified as illicit, except under very tightly-monitored pharmaceutical conditions.
Speaking exclusively to Shipping Position Daily during the recent showcase of illicit drugs seizures by the Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Deputy Area Commander of NDLEA at the Seme border Command, Mr. Austines Ojojo emphasized that Nigeria remains bound by international treaties that prohibit the re-use of confiscated narcotics, even for medical or industrial purposes.
While the NDLEA Commander acknowledges the economic value of these substances, the agency stressed that the health and security risks they pose far outweigh any potential financial gain. He noted that despite their economic worth, the drugs are destroyed in compliance with Nigeria’s obligations under the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.
According to Ojojo, the Seme Command is preparing to add its latest haul to an upcoming nationwide destruction exercise, which will be conducted upon securing a court order, citing a similar operation last month in Ogun State, where over 400 tons of cannabis sativa were incinerated in the presence of local stakeholders.
He stated that: “For now, the United Nations has not given Nigeria a certificate for us to be using them (the seized drugs). Nigeria has not been cleared. But in some countries, it’s allowed. They use it for certain purposes, for medical purposes. But for now, the treaty Nigeria signed with them in 1988 does not cover that.
“Last month, we destroyed about 400 tons of cannabis sativa somewhere in Sagamu in Ogun. So our chairman invited the locals to come and witness it. And these ones seized here at Seme are going to be added to the ones that will be destroyed very soon after obtaining the court order” Commander Ojojo noted.
However, the CEO of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), Dr. Muda Yusuf highlighted the necessity for rigorous validation and certification of all drug imports into Nigeria to ensure they serve legitimate economic or medical purposes.
Dr. Yusuf explained that importation of any drug, especially those that could be classified as controlled or illicit, must be approved by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). He noted that this approval process ensures that the drugs are genuinely useful and that the importing entities are properly certified to handle such substances.
The CPPE boss warned that drugs entering the country without this validation are highly likely to be used for criminal activities. According to him, only drugs that have been certified and imported through approved channels can contribute positively to the economy and public health.
“Well, if there is any economic value, then all the importation has to come in after due validation and certification and approval by the appropriate authorities. If somebody is importing any drug, which may be classified as a drug or illicit, then the way to regularize that kind of importation is to go through NAFDAC to get NAFDAC approval that this is coming and it is coming for a useful purpose and the institution to be certified as qualified to import that kind of drug.
“Then if you do that, you would have at least, ensured that such imports are not coming in to perpetrate criminality or coming in for illicit purposes. For where that is not done, the probability will be very high that this thing is going to be used for illicit purposes, you know, used by criminals and all of that”, he said.
