The rate of substance abuse among Nigerian youths, especially students, is alarming. There are different means of imbibing the habit. It often starts subtly, from the idea of gulping a small bottle of cough syrup after a tough day or after a prolonged self-medication for cough. Another means is through sharing of cigarettes among friends in a hostel room. Sometimes it’s a supposedly harmless “blunt” or “puff” pass around during a birthday hangout. Before you know it, it has become a habit, an addiction and subsequently, a struggle.
As a psychology student at the University of Ibadan, I’ve come to realise that substance abuse among Nigerian students isn’t just moral decadence or a sign of rebellion. While those are also included, it’s a deep psychological issue borne out of pain, pressure, coping mechanisms, and sometimes for some others, the absence of hope.
The signs are not hidden on campuses. You will see students who were once vibrant now walking around looking drained and clueless; group chats filled with jokes about weed and “getting high” to forget about school stress and hostel rooms turned into safe havens for codeine, tramadol, and loud music. You hear the slangs; even perceive the odour while walking past a room in the hostel, but beyond it all is something more troubling.
Few among the reasons for toeing that line by some perpetrators include the fact that many students are hurting and being overwhelmed by the pressure to succeed in a country that it’s constantly falling apart. There’s the heavy weight of academic and societal expectations, the uncertainty of the future, and the burden of trying to survive with little or no support. Some students claim not to have eaten properly in days. Others are doing part-time jobs, juggling assignments, and still sending money back home. All of these are taking serious toll on students.
Substance usage often begins as a form of escape with peer pressure playing a big part. For many students, especially new entrants, the desire to belong is strong. Identity crisis is also another big issue.
Though most of these students claim they don’t want to be addicted, it is just that they don’t see another way. Meanwhile, according to psychologists, when drug abusers try to stop without proper medical and psychotherapeutic guidance, the withdrawal symptoms appear unbearable, it often leads to a relapse.
There are so many factors responsible for the inability to control or arrest drug issues on our campuses today. Mental health support is almost non-existent in many of our campuses. The reason is that counseling units are either underfunded, understaffed, or simply out of reach and unapproachable. Many students don’t know who to talk to, and even when they do, there’s a fear of being judged, labelled or stared at awkwardly with serious criticisms.
As a psychology student, I’ve learned that addiction is not just about willpower. It’s about brain chemistry, environmental triggers, trauma, and the availability of support. I have also realised that Nigeria as a nation, has failed the students on all these fronts.
From the glamorisation of drug culture in pop music and media to the easy access to illicit drugs through pharmacies (e.g selling cough syrup without a prescription) and street vendors, the system is simply not built to protect the youth.
So what can we do? First, we need to start having honest conversations. Not the kind that ends in condemnation, but those rooted in care, concern and true empathy. Universities need to strengthen mental health services. Students should be taught how to manage stress, how to reach out for help, and how to build healthy coping skills. Peer-led initiatives can go a long way. When students see their mates championing mental wellness, it becomes easier to listen and relate.
Parents and guardians also have a role to play. Many of us grew up in homes where emotional expression is discouraged. A situation where seeking help is seen as weakness must change! We must create safe spaces, at home and in school, where young people feel safe to be vulnerable.
Lastly, government agencies and school administrations must wake up to the crisis. Policies on substance control must be backed by immediate and effective action. Rehabilitation, not punishment, should be the first response when students are found using drugs. If we treat addiction like the public health issue it is, then maybe, just maybe, we’ll begin to see real change, especially among Nigerian students and eventually the youths at large.
As someone who has seen and heard of the effects of substance abuse on students and their terrible experiences, I don’t see “drug users” when I look at my fellow students, I see stories. I see pain coupled with brokenheartedness. And I see a young person out there with a cry for help. We must listen.
Ogar, a psychology student at the University of Ibadan, writes via aliceogar2020@gmail.com
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