CRISA and the war against drug use/substance abuse in Nigeria: The journey so far
CRISA is the acronym for Centre for Research and Information on Substance Abuse. It is Africa’s foremost NGO devoted to research, policy and interventions on substance abuse. In its thirty years of existence, CRISA has grown from a neighbourhood substance use information centre in Jos to a major global actor in research on drug and alcohol abuse. It is one of the few non-governmental initiatives in the field of substance abuse that have thrived in Nigeria for decades. This article is therefore a compendium of CRISA’s achievements in this regard.
About Professor Isidore Silas Obot
Upon his return from the United States of America in 1985, Professor Isidore Silas Obot could have
chosen the easy path to “fame” through low-grade, short-term but lucrative consultancy offers. He
could have chosen to ascend high academic ranks through arm-chair research and desktop publications.
He did not; rather, he chose to invest his energy and resources in the acquisition of educational materials, fundable research and painstaking relationship building. This approach has enabled him to earn public trust upon which he has leveraged to build a network in the public health and human services sectors to engage key stakeholders in substance use prevention and treatment.
Through his work at CRISA, Professor Obot has led advocacy for reforms of extant mental health and
drug laws in Nigeria. CRISA’s unique reputation for ethical scholarship and fidelity to contractual
relationships have won for it the trust of national and international organizations such as Nigeria’s National Assembly, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Commission) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), for expert advice and services.
Over the years CRISA has been consistent in the publication of its journal, the African Journal of Drug
and Alcohol Studies and organization of symposia and conferences without government funding. Yet it is a non-profit, non-governmental organization.
Objectives:
Some of CRISA’s Objectives of include:
— Carry out and support research on all aspects of licit and illicit drug use and other lifestyle and health issues;
— Offer treatment and rehabilitation services for alcohol and drug use disorders;
— Serve as clearing-house for state-of-the-art information on alcohol, tobacco and other drug use;
— Organize conferences, training workshops, seminars.
— Provide regular information to researchers, prevention and treatment professionals, the public and media, through publications of pamphlets, newsletters, books and journals;
— Engage in all other activities that may contribute to the promotion of healthy lifestyles, especially among African youth.
In 2020, CRISA marked 30 years of existence with numerous achievements which are enumerated below.
Activities/Achievements
In 2017, we carried out the first-ever National Survey on Problem Drug Use in Nigeria
The survey was funded by the UNODC/EU and had three components in which case, the NBS carried out the household survey
The National Survey on Problem Drug Use involved interviews with a total of 9,44 problem drug users across all 36 states of the federation, as well as the Federal Capital Territory. -A total of 2,787 persons were interviewed for the Key Informant Survey.
Treatment of People who use drugs
– With support from the UNODC, CRISA opened a drop-in-centre in 2016
– The centre serves as a counselling and intervention facility meant to assist problem drug users and their families to address the problems associated with drug use
– Close to 700 people have received treatment from the centre since 2016 to date
Sensitisation on Drug Use
— Between 2019 and 2020, CRISA carried out a sensitization campaign on drug use
— About 250 people covering school teachers, media practitioners, religious leaders, primary healthcare workers and law enforcement agencies were sensitized
—This was done in about 20 different training sessions
Assisting the UNODC in Training the Police
— For decades, the main approach to addressing the global drug use problem has been to criminalize those who use drugs.
— Recently, there is a need to promote and provide a public health response to the needs of drug users.
— In line with this, we have master trainers who assist the UNODC in training law enforcement agencies with the aim of forging partnerships with the police to better address the issues that confront drug users.
Training with Correction Officers
During world drug’s day, we trained officers of the Nigeria Corrections Service to respond to drug-related issues in the correction centre.
PUBLICATIONS
— CRISA is a registered publisher and has published many books, monographs and articles
— CRISA publishes an academic journal with two volumes each year
— The African Journal on Drug and Alcohol Studies is the only academic journal in Africa dedicated to publishing high impact research in the field of Substance use
CONFERENCE SERIES
The Centre holds a biennial international conference on “Drugs, Alcohol and Society in Africa” since 1991
In 2013 CRISA launched the “National Symposium on Drugs and Drug Policy” to focus attention on drug issues of particular relevance to Nigeria
These conferences bring together researchers, policymakers and CSOs and draw participants from Nigeria and all parts of the world
By 2022, CRISA will hold the biennial international conference on “Drugs, Alcohol and Society in Africa” between 26-27 October 2022 in Abuja.
2022 and Beyond…
In 2022 and beyond, we hope to develop a policy brief to guide drug policy in Nigeria
— CRISA also plan to publish perspectives on drugs, alcohol and society in Nigeria
— Treatment of people with substance use disorders
— With electioneering campaigns taking shape, the Centre will love to collaborate with the Akwa Ibom State Government
Inpatient Treatment Facility
— CRISA has embarked on a plan to provide in-patient services to clients whose conditions require such services.
— In order to achieve this objective, the Centre seeks collaboration with and support from individuals, other non-governmental organizations, the private sector and the government
