Youth RISE Nigeria aims to promote evidence-based drug policies and interventions with the meaningful involvement of people who use drugs and most affected communities.

Youth RISE Nigeria tiene como objetivo promover políticas e intervenciones en materia de drogas basadas en la evidencia y la participación significativa de las personas que usan drogas y las comunidades más afectadas.

Youth RISE Nigeria vise à promouvoir des politiques et des interventions relatives à la drogue fondées sur des preuves scientifiques et incluant la participation significative des usagers de drogues et des communautés les plus touchées.

Youth RISE Nigeria

This briefing paper provides an overview of the harm reduction response in Nigeria in relation to the drug law and policy landscape. The aim is to support stakeholders—including civil society organisations, advocates, and policymakers—in identifying opportunities to improve the health and rights of people who use drugs.

The paper highlights major gaps in the legal and policy environment that restrict access to harm reduction services in Nigeria, such as needle and syringe programmes (NSPs) and opioid substitution therapy (OST), despite their recognition in national guidelines. It also outlines the roles of key institutions and actors in shaping the national response to drug use and harm reduction, and provides recommendations for ensuring a more enabling environment.

Harm reduction landscape and drug laws in Nigeria

To: Ms Ghada Waly, Executive Director, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Subject: Open letter on UNODC statement on International Human Rights Day 2021

We urge you to mark International Human Rights Day 2021 by calling on Member States to change drug policies and practices that violate human rights and perpetuate inequality and discrimination.

We are writing to you ahead of International Human Rights Day 2021, which will take place on the 10th December amidst escalating global demands for the reform of laws and practices that entrench racial discrimination and social inequality, including drug policies. Last year, IDPC – together with dozens of other civil society and community organisations – called on you to issue a statement on International Human Rights Day urging Member States to change drug laws and practices that undermine health and human rights. A year later, we ask you to seize this day as an opportunity to show UNODC´s alignment with other UN entities in calling for an end to drug policies and practices that perpetuate inequality and discrimination, and violate human rights.

For decades, punitive drug policies have driven widespread human rights abuses, as has been amply documented by the UN. These include the death penalty for drug offences; extrajudicial killings; arbitrary detention, often masquerading as ‘rehabilitation’; the denial of access to life-saving harm reduction services; widespread barriers to accessing controlled medicines for pain relief; the criminalisation of people who use drugs, subsistence farmers and others groups in situations of vulnerability; corporal punishment; and mass incarceration. In all of these cases, draconian drug policies have disproportionately affected people marginalised on the basis of their gender, race, ethnicity, and economic status, thus entrenching inequality and discrimination.

Along 2021, a broad range of UN entities called on Member States to reform drug policies with discriminatory outcomes. In June 2021, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention released a landmark study on arbitrary detention and drug polices, which found that ´

the war on drugs may be understood to a significant extent as a war on people. Its impact is often greatest on those who are poor, but also frequently overlaps with discrimination in law enforcement directed at vulnerable groups

´. At the same time, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights published a new ‘Agenda towards transformative change for racial justice and equality´, highlighting that ´

The discriminatory application of criminal law must be tackled at every stage, including by reforming drug-related policies

´. The High Commissioner´s proposal led to Human Rights Council Resolution 47/21, which contains key commitments to uproot systemic racism in the law enforcement and criminal justice systems. The Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS, adopted in June 2021, also showcased the international community´s commitment to ending inequalities as a step towards ending AIDS. Lastly, the new UN system Common Position on Incarceration, led by UNODC in partnership with other UN entities, notes ‘

the overrepresentation of minority and marginalized groups among prisoners, many of whom are charged with petty and nonviolent offences

support reform efforts aimed at ensuring proportionate and individualized sentencing and alternatives to conviction or punishment in appropriate cases, including for minor drug-related offences

These various commitments emerging across the United Nations are aligned with the 2018 Chief Executives Board’s UN System Common Position on drug-related matters, which makes clear that ‘

should be designed and implemented by States in accordance with their human rights obligations

’, and commits all UN agencies, including UNODC, to support drug policies ‘

that put people, health, and human rights at the centre

Similar human rights concerns have been highlighted in the just-released Global Drug Policy Index, which measures and ranks the national drug policies of 30 countries according to how well they align with the UN system Common Position on Drugs and its Task Team report of March 2019.

The theme of the 2021 International Human Rights Day is ‘Equality: Reducing inequalities, advancing human rights’, and is aimed at ´

addressing and finding solutions for deep-rooted forms of discrimination that have affected the most vulnerable people in societies

´. As such, it presents a crucial opportunity for UNODC to align itself with other UN entities in calling for the end of policies that perpetuate inequality and discrimination, while highlighting its commitment to the promotion of human rights, in line with the UN system Common Positions.

It is in this context that we urge you to issue a strong statement on International Human Rights Day, calling on states to change the drug laws, policies and practices that violate health and human rights, and entrench inequality. To be credible, such a statement should explicitly acknowledge the disproportionate impact of drug laws and drug control on people marginalised on the basis of their gender, race, ethnicity, and economic status, and urge Member States to:

Abolish the death penalty in all circumstances. Imposing capital punishment for drug offences has been found to be contrary to international human rights law by the Human Rights Committee, and the Human Rights Council.

Put an immediate end to extrajudicial killings committed in the name of drug control, as has been repeatedly called for by the Human Rights Council and UN human rights experts.

Permanently close compulsory drug detention centres, including those that masquerade as ‘rehabilitation’, and implement voluntary, evidence-informed, and rights-based health and social services, as recently called for by sixteen UN agencies, including UNODC.

Stress the urgent need to provide accessible, affordable, and adequately funded harm reduction services in community and closed settings, to fulfil the right to health and the right to life of people who use drugs, as demanded by several UN human rights bodies and experts. This is also central to UNODC’s core role as lead UNAIDS co-sponsor regarding prisons and HIV amongst people who use drugs.

Take immediate measures to address prison overcrowding, as already recommended by UNODC and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, by promoting alternatives to incarceration, and ensuring proportionate sentencing for all drug offences, including by taking into account mitigating factors – in line with the basic principle that prisons should only be used as a last resort in all circumstances.

Ensure that people who use drugs are not subject to arbitrary detention, torture, or ill-treatment – whether in state custody or public or private drug services. While under detention, people with a drug dependence or health problems associated with their drug use must be offered evidence-based treatment, harm reduction and other drug services on a strictly voluntary basis.

Promote the end of all punishment for drug use, and drug possession and cultivation for personal use, as permitted within the three drug control conventions. Such policy shifts will help to end the stigma, criminalisation, and exclusion faced by people who use drugs, and to facilitate access to health and social services, as called for by the UN system Common Position, UNAIDS, and UN human rights bodies.

Make sure that drug policies incorporate a gender-sensitive perspective. This should be done by tailoring drug services to the specific needs of women, and by ensuring that criminal laws take into account the circumstances of women involved in drug offences, as most of them come from backgrounds of poverty, marginalisation, and oppression.

Clearly outline the ways in which UNODC will work to achieve these changes, and the measures being taken to ensure that human rights are effectively embedded as a core strand for all of the Office’s work.

As the lead UN agency in drug-related matters, UNODC has the responsibility to promote drug policies that respect, protect, and fulfil human rights, in a way that is consistent with the standards developed by the UN system, and in line with the commitments set in the UN system Common Positions on drugs and on incarceration. A strong statement in the forthcoming International Human Rights Day would be an important and welcome step to signal UNODC’s unequivocal commitment.

We look forward to discussing these concerns and recommendations with you.

NGOs urge UNODC's Executive Director to mark Human Rights Day with a call to reform drug policies that entrench inequality

YouthRISE Nigeria (Youth Initiative for Drug Research, Information, Support and Education) is an advocacy and service-based organization established to promote human rights, access to quality health and socio-economic justice for young people, especially those vulnerable to drug use. YouthRISE Nigeria primarily works with people who use drugs (both young and old) and empowers them through community engagement for HIV prevention, treatment and care, provision of drug counselling services, partnership with government and other stakeholders for research and policy reform.

In commemoration of the 2021 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (World Drug Day), YouthRISE Nigeria will be convening a one-day policy round-table involving CSOs, members of the parliament and other stakeholders on effective drug control in Nigeria.

The program is scheduled as follows:

Date: 7th July 2021

Time: 10:00am prompt

Venue: NAF Conference Centre, Plot 496 Ahmadu Bello Way (Near Next Cash and Carry), Kado, Abuja

Please note that COVID-19 precautions will be adhered to.

Parliamentary dialogue on effective drug control in Nigeria

By Oluseyi Kehinde and Ekanem Itoro Effiong

Achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is a goal we should all be striving for. Across the world, countless people are suffering unnecessary harm and death as a result of lack of access to affordable, necessary healthcare. While all of us suffer to varying degrees when healthcare is not universally available, it is the most marginalized in our societies who are impacted the most. As a young transgender woman who uses drugs my communities are among those most impacted by lack of access to healthcare. Young Inadequately Served Populations (ISPs), particularly in the Global South, are the communities who are going to continue to be left behind if we do not achieve UHC.

In the past year, the Covid-19 pandemic has made the need for UHC all the more clear. Over the course of the past year it has become clearer than ever that a lack of access to healthcare for a minority can have a major impact on the health and wellbeing of the majority, meaning to ensure the health and wellbeing of society as a whole, we must ensure that healthcare is universally available. As this report will outline, for young ISPs, even in countries with good access to healthcare overall, this is still not the case.

As we edge closer to 2030, and the deadline set for the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), without UHC it is clear these targets, in particular for SDG 3 of Good Health and Wellbeing, will be all but impossible to achieve. In particular, in relation to the ISPs we work with most closely at Youth RISE; Young People Who Use Drugs (YPWUD), the target of ending AIDS by 2030 is neigh-on impossible if we do not work to ensure UHC, including for HIV, drug-related, and other harm reduction services, is reached.

UHC issues for young people who use drugs and other young inadequately served populations

YouthRISE Nigeria invites you to be a part of a thought-provoking conservation on Tuesday, 4th May 2021, as we unveil the realities of adolescent girls and young women, including those who use drugs, as impacted by the dynamics of social policies. This platform will unveil the advocacy tool - Untold Gender Stories of Young Women and those Who Use Drugs", that captures real life stories and probes for humane actions.



Untold gender stories of adolescent girls and young women

This webinar will highlight issues of gender based violence especially in informal sector and practical interventions actions necessary to adequately address issues of gender based violence.

Onyinyechi Ndubuisi: Programme Manager - Gender and Human Rights Program UNDP, Nigeria

Dr. Yinka Falola-Anoemuah: Deputy Director - Gender and Human Rights & Care Services NACA, Abuja

Fisayo Alao: Gender Advisor - YouthRISE Nigeria

Understanding the dynamics and drivers of gender based in the informal economy

Impact of gender based violence on health (HIV), social, economic & development of women in the informal sector

Practical guide on the legal and health actions to take for victims of gender-based violence

Responding to Gender Based Violence in the Informal Sector

The International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA) is the headline conference in the region, and an important opportunity to advance the HIV response. However, people who use drugs and the harm reduction community have been consistently marginalised and under-represented at these events.

Despite the 2019 conference (in Kigali, Rwanda) having more than 8,500 delegates and an objective to “Rethink gender norms, human rights-based approaches and inclusion towards equitable and accessible HIV and AIDS services including key populations”, there was once again very little focus on harm reduction, and poor visibility for people who inject drugs. This crucial aspect of the HIV response was restricted to only two satellite events and around five poster presentations.

We are calling on ICASA to proactively address this imbalance, starting with preparations for the 2021 conference.

Proposed Objective: To raise the profile of evidence-based harm reduction programs and promote integrated rights-based and stigma free interventions and policies for Africans who use drugs.

It is estimated that there may be as many as 2 million people who inject drugs in Africa, of whom more than 11 percent are living with HIV. Yet services remain woefully unavailable, and only a few African countries have adopted this approach – most often with external funding, and through NGOs rather than state provision. According to UNAIDS, people who inject drugs account for 8 percent of all new HIV infections in Sub-Saharan Africa, and 37 percent of all new infections in the Middle East and North Africa. This is a population that cannot be overlooked if we are to end AIDS in Africa.

Furthermore, the conference in Uganda is an opportune moment for this conversation – the host country itself has begun to embrace the harm reduction approach in response to its own domestic drug use challenges.

60+ NGOs working in Africa call upon ICASA 2021 to centre the importance of harm reduction in the HIV response

YouthRISE Nigeria is hosting a two-part webinar series with experts in drug policy, criminal justice, mental health and youth development to discuss the intersection between criminal justice reform and drug control, in Nigeria and West Africa.

The event is scheduled for 18th June 2020 at 2pm (WAT).

COVID-19: A wake-up call for criminal justice reform

Experts and ministers on drug control, health and population from over 20 African countries met in Cairo, Egypt from 29th July to 2nd August for the 3rd Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Specialized Technical Committee on Health, Population and Drug Control (AU-STC-HPDC).

As part of the general deliberations, the drug control meeting sought to appraise and review the implementation of the current AU Plan of Action on Drug Control 2013-2017 (which was later extended to 2019), and to adopt its successor, the AU Plan of Action on Drug Control and Crime Prevention (2019-2023).

Among the participants, there were 25 civil society representatives, the highest number of civil society representatives to participate in such a meeting. Through the support of the PITCH project, IDPC, Youth RISE Nigeria and the UNODC Civil Society Team, we were able to bring African civil society delegates to the meeting and facilitate a week of interaction – to ensure that CSOs had the space to engage with each other, and more importantly to take part in the thematic discussions with member states. The first three days were also spent reviewing various documents including the AU Plan of Action and an African Civil Society Common Position on Drugs, as well as looking at the next steps post the 2019 UN Ministerial Declaration that was adopted in March 2019 in Vienna.

In all, we had CSOs from Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Mauritius, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe, ensuring that most of Africa was represented. Having had the opportunity to comment on an earlier draft of the AU Plan of Action at the SA Drug Policy Week in October 2018, it was fulfilling to see the Plan finally adopted by member states on Friday, 2nd August. It was significant because for the first time, the words ‘harm reduction’ were kept in the document, and more importantly ‘alternatives to punishment’ were also mentioned throughout. There is even mention in the Plan to supporting ‘the local production of controlled substances and plants for scientific and medical use, in line with the international drug conventions’.

Governments within the continent have always made efforts to address the drug situation through the adoption of various methods and strategies over the years. The African Union continues to demonstrate strong commitment to addressing the drug situation in the region by facilitating the availability of a wide range of evidence-based treatment options, including opioid substitution therapy (OST). The new AU Plan of Action also calls for harm reduction services to be made available, which is a great step taken by AU member states. It also includes a commitment to review and collate drug policies across the region and continuous support of the epidemiology network and its research across the region.

Now the hope is that this Plan of Action will pave the way for member states to adopt a different stance away from punitive approaches, which have consistently failed and exacerbated problems related to drug use by creating a system that marginalises already vulnerable communities. The real work begins now, to convince member states to follow the Plan of Action they have ratified by formulating local national drug master plans that will follow the recommendations that have been laid out.

The energy and passion felt during last week in Egypt, being among African civil society representatives who are committed to pushing for drug policy reform, was nothing but amazing. It is safe to say Africa does not have only one voice, it has many. But we are ready to unite to advocate for changes that can and will benefit citizens all over the continent.

Youth RISE Nigeria

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