The National Human Rights Commission has led a national dialogue on human rights and drug policy reform, bringing together critical stakeholders in Benin City to strengthen rights-based approaches to drug control and public health in Nigeria.
The three-day workshop, held from April 13 to 15 in collaboration with the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, focused on protecting and promoting the rights of persons who use drugs, while addressing barriers to healthcare access and gaps in existing drug policies.
Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Tony Ojukwu, represented by Hilary Ogbonna, said drug control responses must align with human rights principles, emphasizing dignity, evidence-based interventions, and access to health services.
Director-General of NACA, Temitope Ilori, represented at the workshop, underscored the need to remove structural and human rights barriers limiting access to HIV and tuberculosis services for vulnerable populations.
Participants drawn from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the National Assembly, civil society groups, professional bodies, and community networks examined the gap between existing drug laws and the realities faced by affected individuals, particularly concerns over unclear distinctions between drug use and trafficking.
Discussions also focused on drug threshold scheduling, decriminalization debates, and the intersection of drug use with HIV, tuberculosis and gender issues. Stakeholders called for greater clarity, fairness and proportionality in law enforcement, while community representatives shared experiences on how policy ambiguities affect access to services and human rights protections.
Technical sessions featured contributions from organizations including the West African Drug Policy Network, Drug Harm Reduction Advocacy Network, PRAWA, Lawyers Alert, New Thing International Foundation and International Society of Substance Use Professionals.
The workshop ended with the adoption of a community communiqué containing recommendations for legal and policy reform, alongside a shared roadmap outlining next steps, timelines and institutional responsibilities.
The dialogue forms part of NHRC’s ongoing work under the Global Fund Grant Cycle 7 to reduce human rights-related barriers to health services and advance evidence-based reforms within Nigeria’s drug policy framework.
