By Omar Bah
In 2023, law enforcement in The Gambia and ten other West African countries confiscated a total of 83,734.84 kg of drugs and over 31,000 drug tablets/capsules, as reported by the West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (WENDU) in September 2024. The report, titled “West Africa’s Creeping Drug Epidemic: Soaring Addiction, Lagging Response,” offers detailed insights into drug use trends across the region. Notably, the most substantial cocaine seizures occurred in Senegal and The Gambia.
The majority of the seizures were related to cannabis and similar substances, as well as opioids, heroin, and cocaine. Senegal led with the highest amount seized, confiscating 15,905 kg of cannabis and related drugs. Benin and Côte d’Ivoire followed, with 13,704 kg and 13,267 kg of cannabis seized, respectively. Concerning heroin, 87.37 kg were confiscated in 2023, excluding amounts from Nigeria, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Guinea-Conakry. Liberia accounted for 62.07% of the total heroin seizures, followed by Benin with 12.56% and Ghana with 12.25%.
The report emphasizes that the quantity of seized drugs and the number of seizure cases do not directly indicate the scale of drug trafficking but rather demonstrate the level of commitment and prioritization of drug law enforcement within the member states. In the past decade, West Africa has emerged as a thriving hub for the illicit drug trade, contributing to a rising addiction problem exacerbated by ongoing instability and socio-economic hardships. Both men and women are impacted, and more minors are becoming involved. Consequently, healthcare expenses are escalating due to the necessity for treating substance use disorders, and nations are allocating substantial resources to combat drug abuse, resources that could otherwise be utilized to alleviate poverty.
The authors of the report propose several measures to bolster the fight against drug abuse in West Africa. These measures include implementing prevention programs targeting minors, enhancing intelligence gathering, and fostering greater collaboration between drug enforcement agencies to dismantle supply chains. In a related report from 2022, WENDU highlighted a significant surge in cannabis seizures in West Africa, escalating from 139 tons in 2020 to 631 tons in 2021 and reaching a peak of 892 tons in 2022. This consistent upward trend underscores the mounting challenge of drug trafficking and the evolving dynamics of the region’s efforts to address it.
