Shadows We Inhale: The Untold Stories Of Substance Abuse In Nigeria and Africa

Shadows We Inhale: The Untold Stories Of Substance Abuse In Nigeria and Africa

It began with a puff.
Just one, and he told himself it would never happen again.

Chinedu was only sixteen when his friends at the mechanic workshop handed him a piece of rolled-up paper filled with dried leaves. They called it “Igbo”—marijuana.

They laughed as he coughed, mocked his watery eyes, and cheered when he finally inhaled like them.

He wanted to belong. In that tiny moment, what seemed like harmless fun slowly opened the door to a life that would take years to escape.

Chinedu’s story is not unique. In fact, it is one of millions silently unfolding across Nigeria and Africa. Behind each cigarette butt, each bottle of codeine syrup, each sachet of tramadol, there is a story—a young boy, a curious girl, a frustrated worker, or a heartbroken woman searching for relief.

This is the science and the sorrow of substance abuse, told not just through statistics, but through the very human lives that bear its scars.

A Growing Epidemic in Plain Sight

Africa, often described as the world’s youngest continent, is carrying a heavy burden. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates that over 40 million Africans between the ages of 15 and 64 use drugs.
In Nigeria alone, 14.4% of the population, nearly 15 million people, are substance users. That is almost twice the global average.
But beyond the numbers, what does this really mean?

It means classrooms are half-empty, with pupils skipping lessons because they are high.
It means motor parks filled with touts who mask hunger with cough syrups.
It means girls and women are secretly hooked on pills, too ashamed to seek help.
It means parents burying their children long before their time.

The Usual Suspects: Most Abused Substances in Nigeria and Africa

1. Cannabis (Marijuana/Igbo/Weed/Ganja)
Cheap. Accessible. Normalised.
Cannabis is the most abused drug in Nigeria and across Africa.

For many like Chinedu, it is the entry point to the so-called “soft” drug. Yet, research shows prolonged use rewires the brain’s dopamine system, affecting memory, decision-making, and emotional stability.

For some, it ends with laughter. For others, it begins a slow walk into paranoia, schizophrenia, or psychosis.

2. Tramadol

They call it “Tramol” in the streets.
Sold in colourful blister packs, it is supposed to be a prescription painkiller.

But in the back corners of markets, dingy chemists, and even roadside kiosks, it is sold freely to teenagers, commercial drivers, artisans, and even housewives.
Many take it to “boost energy” or “last longer in bed”. Others swallow it to numb emotional pain. But tramadol quietly enslaves the brain’s reward system.

Withdrawal is brutal—sweats, tremors, hallucinations. Many return to it not for pleasure, but to avoid the agony of going without.

3. Codeine Syrup

For some, it begins with a cough.
Doctors prescribe it to ease chest pain. But soon, young men and women start mixing it with soft drinks. A bottle turns to two, two to a dozen. Codeine syrup creates a deceptive euphoria, slowing the body but heightening dependency.

In 2018, a BBC documentary exposed the codeine epidemic in Nigeria, leading to tighter regulations. Yet, in the shadows of bus parks and in the hands of unscrupulous pharmacists, the syrup still flows.

4. Alcohol

It is legal. It is everywhere.
From small sachets of cheap gin sold on street corners to bottles of beer consumed at nightclubs, alcohol remains one of the most abused substances across Africa, but is socially accepted.

Its normalisation makes it deadly.
For some, alcohol is an escape from poverty, unemployment, or heartbreak. But behind the laughter of drunken nights are broken homes, road accidents, liver damage, and violence.

5. Inhalants (Glue, Paint Thinner, Petrol, Lacasera, Sewage Gas)

Among street children, this is the drug of survival. Boys in torn clothes gather around nylon bags filled with glue or petrol.

They inhale deeply, eyes glassy, stomachs empty, hearts broken. It dulls the hunger. It numbs the cold. But it also destroys the brain, lungs, and liver. Many die before adulthood.

The Faces Behind the Numbers

Fatima, a university student in Kano, hid tramadol capsules in her cosmetics bag. She started with one during exams to stay awake.

Within a year, she was taking five just to feel “normal”. She dropped out of school.

Bayo, a long-distance driver, kept bottles of codeine syrup under his seat. It helped him “conquer fatigue” on the highway. One night, drowsy behind the wheel, he crashed his bus, killing six passengers.

Ngozi, a mother of three, used alcohol to numb the loneliness of her broken marriage. What started as weekend drinking turned into daily dependence. Her children often went to bed hungry as she spent more money on bottles than food.

Why They Do It: The Deeper Story

Drug abuse in Nigeria and Africa is not just about bad choices. It is about:

Poverty and unemployment – When there are no jobs, a pill becomes a temporary escape.
Peer pressure – Young people want to belong, so they experiment.

Broken homes – Many who abuse drugs come from unstable families.

Mental health struggles – Depression, anxiety, and trauma push many towards substances.

Easy availability – Drugs are cheaper and more accessible than therapy.

The Science of Enslavement

Every drug tells the same lie to the brain: “I will make you feel better.” Cannabis, tramadol, codeine, alcohol, and inhalants all hijack the reward system of the brain, flooding it with dopamine.

Over time, the brain adjusts, demanding more to feel the same effect. What begins as “fun” ends as bondage.

Breaking the Silence, Breaking the Cycle

At Balm for the Bruised Foundation, we have seen these faces. We have listened to their cries. We have watched families torn apart and slowly pieced back together.

Recovery is possible, but it requires:
Awareness – Breaking the stigma around addiction.
Support systems – Families, schools, religious bodies stepping in early.
Rehabilitation centres – Affordable, accessible, humane care.
Policy enforcement – Stricter drug regulation, coupled with education.
Compassion – Understanding that addiction is not weakness, but an illness.

A Call to Hope

Chinedu, now 28, is in recovery. It has been two years since his last joint. He attends group therapy sessions, learning to rebuild his life one day at a time. His journey is not easy, but he is determined.

He says: “I wasted ten years, but I have another forty to live differently. I want young people to learn from me. Don’t start, because stopping is war.”

His words echo what we must all remember: behind every substance, behind every statistic, there is a soul worth saving.

Because every scar tells a story, and every story deserves healing.

#BalmForTheBruised #BreakTheChains #SayNoToDrugs #DrugFreeAfrica #HealingTogether #MentalHealthAwareness #EndSubstanceAbuse #HopeForRecovery #ResilienceStories