Death penalty bill: DHRAN pushes for reform in Nigeria’s drug laws at National dialogue

The Drug Harm Reduction Advocacy Network (DHRAN) is making significant strides toward a future where Nigeria’s health policies and drug laws are guided by humane, evidence-based approaches.

This commitment was evident in the third edition of its Drug User Community Dialogue, an annual international virtual event focused on addressing critical issues impacting people who use drugs in Nigeria.

The event also coincided with this year’s International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, themed ‘The Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention.’

Held on July 2nd, this year’s dialogue, titled “Rethinking Nigeria’s Drug Law: Harm Reduction and Other Evidence-Based Approaches,” attracted over 200 virtual attendees, including members of the Nigerian drug user community, stakeholders, experts, and advocates, government Agencies and parastatals, Human Rights Institutions and the general public . Participant member organisation of DHRAN organised engagement of people who use drugs at their offices with a minimum of 6 drug users joining from the centres.

The discussions primarily centered on the recently amended NDLEA Act and the introduction of the Death penalty, harm reduction strategies and the necessity for evidence-based policies in addressing Nigeria’s drug crisis.

Nigeria faces a pressing drug crisis, with over 14.3 million people who use drugs (Nigeria Drug Use Survey, 2019) and a rising number of drug-related overdose deaths, alongside the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s (NDLEA) stringent actions against drug users.

Facilitators of the dialogue were from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), The Global Fund Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, International Network of People Who Use Drugs (INPUD), Afrilaw, LARDI and the Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse (CRISA), among others.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Harry Obe, Director of the National Human Rights Commission, emphasized the significance of the dialogue. “For us, it’s a platform to further the mandate of the NHRC, which is the protection, promotion, and enforcement of human rights for all individuals,” he stated.

Mr. Obe also discussed the human rights implications of Nigeria’s current drug policies, stressing the need to align these policies with international human rights standards and advocating for a shift from punitive measures to approaches that respect the dignity and rights of drug users.

Georgina Caswell, Technical Advisor, CRG Regional Investment Support, The Global Fund Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, also spoke at the event, condemning Nigeria’s consideration of the death penalty for drug offenses.

“There is no evidence supporting the effectiveness of the death penalty as a deterrent for drug offenses,” she asserted.

Mr. Nsidibe Essien, from the Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse (CRISA), spoke about the ambiguous nature of the death penalty bill and emphasized the need for a human rights approach to drug-related issues.

“We should embrace a public health approach to drug-related issues grounded in human rights,” he said.

DHRAN’s Drug User Community Dialogue continues to be a vital forum for fostering critical conversations and advancing progressive drug policies in Nigeria.