EU supports FG with N7.6bn to control drugs

The European Union is supporting Nigeria with €36m (N7.65bn) to help fight indiscriminate drug production, trafficking and use.According to the EU, the support is being carried out through the project titled, ‘Response to drugs and relatedorganised crime in Nigeria’.In his speech at the second national symposium on drugs and drug control in Abuja on Monday, the EU’s Acting Head of Cooperation, Juan Urteaga-Casla, stated that the union was supporting the work done by Nigerian authorities, particularly the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control as well as ministries of health.The symposium was organised by the Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse.Urteaga-Casla said, “This project is funded by the European Union with €36m and is implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime over a period of five years. Through the project, the Nigerian authorities as well as non-governmental organisations will aim at ambitious objectives.“The objectives are to reinforce national anti-drug trafficking policy formulation, improve law enforcement capacity in drug control,tackle organised drug-related crime as well as enhance drug use prevention, treatment and care services. In summary, better information, better capacity and better response will be achieved.”The EU’s representative noted that the project would focus on the reduction in drug demand by workingwith different stakeholders in Nigeria,adding that the civil society would assist the scheme in effective mobilisation, training and capacity building.Urteaga-Casla added, “We believe this will go a long way in strengthening the responses on the ground and in sustaining quality intervention beyond the current EU assistance to Nigeria. Civil society organisations will also be involved in providing direct assistance to rehabilitating drug users through a community-based treatment approach.”