Author(s) :

AISHA Umar Kaila.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

Drug abuse has emerged as a critical social and security challenge in Nigeria, with increasing implications for public safety, governance, and national stability. This study examines the nexus between drug abuse and national security in Nigeria, using Kaduna South Local Government Area as a case study over the period 2015–2025. The study adopts a literature-based research design anchored on the interpretivist research philosophy. Data were sourced from secondary materials, including scholarly journals, government publications, policy documents, and reports from relevant national and international agencies such as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The study analyzes major forms and trends of drug abuse in Kaduna South, identifies socio-economic and environmental factors driving substance abuse, and assesses its implications for security and public safety. Findings indicate a sustained rise in the abuse of cannabis and pharmaceutical opioids, particularly among youths, driven by unemployment, urbanization, peer influence, and weak social control mechanisms. The study further reveals that drug abuse contributes significantly to violent crimes, cultism, gang activities, and political violence, thereby undermining local security and posing broader threats to national security in Nigeria. The study concludes that drug abuse transcends public health concerns and constitutes a major internal security threat that weakens human capital, erodes public trust in state institutions, and sustains criminal networks. It recommends the adoption of integrated policy responses that combine law enforcement, socio-economic empowerment, community-based interventions, and strengthened regulatory frameworks. By providing a localized and longitudinal analysis, the study contributes context-specific insights to the discourse on drug abuse and national security in Nigeria. Keywords: West Africa, Natural Resources, Oil, Gold, Instability, Underdevelopment, Corruption, Mismanagement

No. of Downloads :

0