Drug trafficking in Lake Chad region generates $400bn annually, says UNODC official

Ousmane Touré, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) country representative for Nigeria, says drug trafficking generates an estimated $400 billion annually for criminal networks operating across the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin regions.

Touré spoke at a panel session on curbing illicit drug trafficking and drug abuse to prevent violent extremism at the fifth Lake Chad Governors’ forum on Friday in Maiduguri, Borno state capital.

The UNODC official said the massive scale of the illicit drug trade fuels a wide range of criminal activities, including arms smuggling, human trafficking, and money laundering.

He added that criminal organisations involved in drug trafficking are increasingly diversifying their operations, establishing complex value chains that link the drug trade with other forms of transnational organised crime.

“These networks need a value chain,” he said, highlighting how the exploitation of natural resources, such as gold mining, often intersects with drug trafficking activities in conflict zones.

Touré pointed out that the challenges of securing evidence on the connections between drug trafficking and terrorism further underscore the need for more investment in research and evidence-based studies.

He called for stronger border control measures, regional cooperation, and institutional reforms to combat corruption within law enforcement agencies.