Mirian Gom 
ABEOKUTA, Nigeria – A mental health expert warns that drug and substance abuse is spiralling across Nigeria’s South-West, with over four million people affected, according to United Nations data.
Dr Olanrewaju Sodeinde of the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, says the crisis cuts across gender and age, with women accounting for one in every four drug users.
“Nigeria has over 14.4 million drug users, and the South-West alone accounts for 22.4 per cent,” Sodeinde says during a drug-abuse awareness walk in Abeokuta on Saturday.
He adds that figures are likely underreported due to stigma and reliance on unregulated traditional treatments.
“More than 80 per cent of admissions in our hospital are drug-related,” he says, noting that treatment costs can exceed ₦600,000, placing huge strain on families.
Sodeinde warns that substance abuse alters brain function, destroys potential and fuels social instability.
“Many young Nigerians who could drive national development are instead lost to drugs,” he says.
He urges parents to act early and seek professional help, stressing that prevention remains the most effective response.
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