Restrictions on movement imposed by the federal and state governments have been in place for weeks now but it may require more than the lockdown to defeat the Coronavirus pandemic.
It is feared that with more than 14.5% of Nigerians exposed to illicit drugs, government’s stay-at-home order may be giving the nation’s youth away to more drug abuse.
According to the United Nations Human capital Development index released in 2019, nearly 15% of the Nigerian population is susceptible to the abuse of drugs.
And the time of the lockdown could worsen this record, given that economic activities have grounded to a halt and many will be looking for alternative means to occupy their minds.
Security is yet another issue on the minds of Nigerians. For some, the high percentage of people in the Informal sector who have already lost their means of livelihood due to the lockdown is a pointer to a looming rise in violent crime
Some states in the country are already witnessing a resort to self help by communities where armed robberies and house-to-house raids have occurred.
Perhaps one way to deal with it is to ensure that while cities are on lockdown, illicit drugs do not flow through them.
