Synthetic Drugs Threaten Public Health, Security in West Africa, Report Says

Report Warns Synthetic Drug Trade Is Escalating Public Health and Security Risks Across West Africa

A new regional report says synthetic drugs are spreading quickly across West Africa, deepening health emergencies and security threats in countries including Nigeria.

The study, published by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime, said the drug market has shifted from older plant-based supply chains to faster, more fragmented trade in man-made psychoactive substances. Researchers said this shift is increasing overdose cases, severe mental health problems and social disruption in many communities.

According to the report, young people are carrying a large share of the harm, especially in countries where access to treatment, rehabilitation and drug monitoring is limited. It said the pressure became so serious that two countries in the region declared states of emergency from 2024, a level of response usually associated with major disease outbreaks.

The report identified synthetic cannabinoids, nitazenes and methamphetamine among substances driving concern. It said the spread of synthetic opioids, including tramadol and tramadol derivatives such as tapentadol, has become an especially dangerous trend because potency can vary sharply and users often do not know exact composition.

Researchers said criminal groups are no longer the only actors in the trade. With cheaper production tools, easier sourcing of precursor chemicals and online distribution channels, new entrants can move into the market with limited capital. The report said this has widened the criminal ecosystem and made enforcement harder.

It added that internet access now plays a central role in procurement and sales. Chemicals and finished products can be purchased online from suppliers in Asia and Europe and shipped through postal or courier channels that are difficult to track consistently.

By combining open-source intelligence, field research and interviews, the study mapped supply routes, business links and sales activity. In 2025 alone, data gathering included more than 190 semi-structured interviews with journalists, law enforcement officials, judicial officers, public officials, airport and port workers, health professionals, researchers, academics, community members and people who use drugs.

The research team also carried out surveys with users in focus countries to check price movement and consumption trends. Field testing using FTIR equipment was conducted in Sierra Leone and Guinea-Bissau in 2024, with laboratory confirmation on selected samples from Sierra Leone. Government forensic laboratories in the region also supplied test data.

The report said current surveillance capacity in many West African states remains weak relative to the speed of market change. Authorities often struggle to identify newly circulating compounds, delaying targeted treatment guidance and slowing criminal investigations.

It warned that profits from synthetic drugs can finance wider organised crime and support corruption networks, creating a cycle that affects governance and community safety.

Regional institutions were involved in consultation on findings. The report said key points were discussed with civil society and government stakeholders, including representatives of ECOWAS and national focal points of the West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use.

Its findings were also presented at a high-level dialogue in Accra on 27 and 28 November 2025, co-convened by the governments of Ghana and the Netherlands with GI-TOC. About 160 participants attended, including delegates from all West African countries.

The report concluded that existing responses are not keeping pace with the market. It called for urgent coordinated action across borders, including stronger forensic systems, shared intelligence on trafficking routes and online suppliers, and legal updates for emerging psychoactive substances.

It also urged governments to combine enforcement with stronger public health services, saying arrests alone will not solve addiction, overdose and mental health burdens. More treatment centres, better harm-reduction communication and faster chemical identification were listed as immediate needs.

For Nigeria and its neighbours, the warning is direct: without joint action and sustained investment, synthetic drug markets could cause deeper long-term damage to health systems, social stability and public security.