(Ecofin Agency) - Last year, law enforcement in 11 West African countries seized a total of 83,734.84 kg of drugs and over 31,000 drug tablets/capsules, according to a September 2024 report by the West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (WENDU).

The document, titled "West Africa’s Creeping Drug Epidemic: Soaring Addiction, Lagging Response," provides detailed insights into drug use trends across the region.

Most of the seizures were cannabis and similar substances, along with opioids, heroin, and cocaine. Senegal led with the largest amount, seizing 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.

Regarding 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 also highlighted that the biggest cocaine seizures took place in Senegal and Gambia.

“While neither the weight of seized drugs nor the number of seizure cases is a direct indicator of the magnitude of drug trafficking, they do reflect the capacity and priority of drug law enforcement within the member states,” the report notes, stressing that West Africa has become a booming market for illegal drug use over the past decade. The region is now facing a growing addiction problem, worsened by ongoing insecurity and socio-economic challenges. This issue affects both men and women, and an increasing number of minors are getting involved.

As a result, healthcare costs are rising due to the need to treat substance use disorders, and nations are spending significant resources on anti-drug efforts—funds that could otherwise be used to fight poverty.

The report’s authors suggest several measures to strengthen the fight against drug use in West Africa. These include launching prevention programs aimed at minors, improving intelligence gathering, and increasing cooperation between drug enforcement agencies to dismantle supply chains.

In a related 2022 report, WENDU noted a sharp rise in cannabis seizures in West Africa, from 139 tons in 2020 to 631 tons in 2021, peaking at 892 tons in 2022. This steady increase highlights the growing challenge of drug trafficking and the evolving dynamics of the region's fight against it.