World Drug Report 2025: Webinar on Key Trends and Policy Challenges for Africa
As a follow-up to our previous webinar outlining the Key Findings of the World Drug Report 2025, ISSUP on 28 August 2025 presented a review of the World Drug Report 2025 through an African lens. The webinar was moderated by Radolf Nortey, ISSUP’s Africa Regional Coordinator, and A/Prof Goodman Sibeko, ISSUP’s Scientific Advisor. It brought together a panel of leading voices from across the continent to reflect on emerging substance use trends, policy challenges, and opportunities for intervention in Africa.
Dr. Anselme Sanou, Head of the Health and Drug Demand Reduction Unit at the UNODC Regional Office for West and Central Africa, summarized the findings of the 2025 report with a focus on African contexts. He noted that Africa continues to face a widening treatment gap, with demand for services far exceeding availability. Despite global advances in understanding drug markets, the continent remains constrained by health systems that are not up to the task, limited options for addressing drug-related harms, and persistent barriers to treatment. Dr. Sanou emphasized the unique vulnerabilities faced by women in relation to substance use, pointing out that although women represent a smaller proportion of users, they often experience unique vulnerabilities and remain underserved. He further highlighted Africa’s shifting role in global drug markets: once primarily a transit region, the continent is increasingly a consumer market, shaped by new trafficking routes and emerging psychoactive substances. His presentation underscored the urgency of expanding effective services, strengthening women- and youth-sensitive responses, enhancing regional cooperation, and addressing major data gaps.
Dr. Olubusayo Akinola, Head of Social Welfare, Drug Control, and Crime Prevention at the African Union Commission, situated the findings within Africa’s demographic realities and policy responses. With nearly 60% of the population under 25, she observed that the continent faces both promise and significant challenges. Substance use is projected to grow by 40% by 2030, threatening health and development outcomes. Dr. Akinola identified tramadol and synthetic pharmaceuticals as growing concerns alongside cannabis and heroin. Reports of children as young as 10 seeking treatment underscored the urgency of early intervention. She outlined the AU’s Plan of Action on Drug Control and Crime Prevention, built on nine policy pillars, which has driven progress in areas such as epidemiological surveillance (now active in 35 member states), training of more than 6,000 prevention and treatment professionals, and engagement with traditional and religious leaders. Yet she acknowledged that challenges persist: scaling up youth- and women-focused services, moving away from punitive responses, strengthening regional cooperation, and investing in reintegration pathways remain urgent priorities.
From a national perspective, Dr. Martin Agwogie, Director of ISSUP Nigeria, cautioned that continental and global narratives do not always reflect country-level realities. In Nigeria, tramadol remains a particularly pressing challenge. He stressed the importance of stronger national drug observatories and improved reporting to UNODC, noting that only 33 African countries had responded to its annual questionnaire. Dr. Agwogie argued for a pragmatic approach: rather than focusing narrowly on specific substances, policymakers should invest in robust prevention strategies, adopt non-punitive measures, expand access to treatment, and implement targeted programmes to address harms related to substance use.
The dialogue that followed reflected both alignment and deep concern among participants. Policy reform emerged as a recurring theme, with frustration voiced about the persistence of punitive laws that criminalize all drug use. Participants called for health-centred, rights-based approaches, citing examples such as Kenya, which has made progress on effective interventions despite restrictive legislative environments.
Youth vulnerability was another urgent concern. Troubling accounts were shared of children as young as five being introduced to drugs, including through community exposure to trafficking and gangsterism. Cannabis was highlighted as the leading cause of treatment admissions among young people, prompting calls for schools, parents, and community leaders to be better equipped to recognize early signs of drug use and implement effective prevention strategies.
Participants also emphasised that women continue to face significant stigma that prevents access to care, reinforcing the need for residential and women-focused treatment options. Beyond treatment, concerns were raised about reintegration: many individuals completing treatment face barriers to employment, and the absence of sustainable livelihood pathways was seen as a major driver of relapse.
A further cross-cutting theme was the significant room for improvement of data systems. Attendees highlighted insufficient national responses to UNODC reporting mechanisms and limited use of evidence to guide prevention. While fentanyl and synthetic opioids were mentioned, uncertainty remained about their current scale of impact in Africa.
The webinar not only underscored the challenges but also illuminated opportunities for African countries to take the lead in reforming drug policy and practice. While the scale of the problem is immense, there was broad consensus on the way forward: to adopt effective prevention strategies, move towards health-centred approaches, strengthen services for women and youth, and deepen regional cooperation.
