NDLEA recovers N16.9 billion worth of tramadol and codeine in Lagos warehouse raid, disrupting a major illicit drug trafficking network in Okota.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has called for increased funding for mental healthcare, warning that untreated mental health conditions can contribute to drug abuse and complicate recovery.
The agency’s Chairman, Mohamed Buba-Marwa, said efforts to tackle drug abuse must address underlying mental health problems to achieve lasting results.
“If we only arrest the symptoms, we will keep missing the cause,” he said.
Marwa spoke on Tuesday at the fifth edition of The Conversation Conference in Abuja, according to a statement signed by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
He said many people receiving treatment for drug abuse at NDLEA rehabilitation centres also struggle with untreated depression, trauma and other emotional challenges.
“Behind many cases of drug abuse is untreated pain: depression nobody noticed, trauma nobody addressed, a young person who found a substance before finding help,” he said.
The NDLEA chairman urged the government to allocate more resources to mental healthcare, recruit additional professionals and integrate mental health services into primary healthcare.
He stressed the need to make mental healthcare affordable and accessible, regardless of people’s financial circumstances.
Marwa disclosed that more than 53,843 people had received treatment at the agency’s 31 rehabilitation facilities nationwide over the past five years.
He also highlighted the NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse campaign, which focuses on young people in schools, tertiary institutions and communities.
According to him, the agency also operates a 24-hour toll-free helpline to support people facing drug-related challenges and their families.
Marwa cited an initiative in three pilot communities in Ondo State, where families previously dependent on illicit cultivation received support to establish lawful sources of income.
He said the agency planned to expand the initiative nationwide, noting that sustainable livelihoods could help reduce poverty and strengthen communities.
The NDLEA chairman called for greater attention to the mental health needs of women, children and other vulnerable groups, including survivors of violence, displaced mothers and people living with disabilities.
He urged the health, education, security, justice and social welfare sectors to work together to address drug abuse and mental illness.
Marwa also called on conference participants to fund effective interventions, expand successful community programmes and hold stakeholders accountable for measurable results.
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