The Instagram-driven culture of curating an image of performance and lifestyle has gradually crept into Nigeria’s ministries and parastatals. Increasingly, more attention is paid to optics, newspaper headlines, and blog mentions than to measurable outcomes. Of particular concern are agencies whose statutory responsibility is to uphold moral standards and protect the health and wellbeing of the populace, but which, inadvertently, now appear to be working against those mandates for which they were established.
In recent years, I have observed with concern how agencies such as NAFDAC, NDLEA, and the Nigeria Customs Service carelessly advertise drug dealing, medicine counterfeiting, and smuggling as lucrative ventures. In a country grappling with widespread poverty and unemployment, some of these headlines function less as commendation of enforcement efforts and more as advertorials for illegitimate wealth. This trend also reflects a growing culture of glory-chasing among officers at the helm of these institutions.
Rather than focusing public attention on the number of arrests made, criminal networks dismantled, and convictions secured with corresponding jail terms, these agencies often highlight the so-called “street value” of seized or destroyed items. A notable example occurred in November 2025, when NAFDAC organised a press conference at which the director-general was represented. In the clip aired by TVC News, the DG’s representative openly announced that the expired drugs being destroyed that day had a street value of ₦20 billion. This raises a fundamental question: of what relevance is the monetary value of expired or fake drugs? The answer is simple, none. Assigning value to such items serves no regulatory purpose and appears to be driven purely by headline-chasing.
More troubling is the absence of information regarding arrests, prosecutions, convictions, and jail terms for those responsible. This was not a one-off occurrence. Despite repeated seizures and destruction, it is widely acknowledged that the activities of illegal operators are not waning. It is therefore not far-fetched that uninformed but criminally inclined individuals may be attracted to these illicit trades by the sheer magnitude of the figures being publicly announced. The implicit message becomes: engage in this activity and you could “cash out” big time. This is precisely why attaching any monetary value to fake or expired drugs is fundamentally wrong.
Illicit drug use has increasingly become embedded in the lifestyle of many youths, supported by supply chains that appear resilient and well-organised. Combating this growing menace is becoming more challenging by the day and requires a coordinated effort involving government, civil society, religious organisations, and other stakeholders. Central to this effort is the need to disrupt and truncate the supply chain. However, NDLEA’s enforcement actions are frequently followed by public disclosures that unintentionally advertise how lucrative the drug dealing can be.
Consider the following NDLEA related headlines over the years:
- September 2022: the largest cocaine seizure in Nigeria’s history – 1.8 tons (1,855 kg) confiscated from a warehouse in Ikorodu, Lagos, with a street value of over $278 million (approximately ₦194.7 billion at the time).
- November 2025: drugs worth over ₦10 billion destroyed in Kaduna State.
- December 2023: over 30 tons (31,531 kg) of seized illicit drugs, valued at more than ₦2.6 billion, destroyed in Lagos.
Similarly, headlines frequently announce figures such as “NDLEA destroys ₦5 billion worth of cannabis in Ikorodu” or “NAFDAC busts Onitsha drug market,” with little or no emphasis on convictions, jail terms, or the dismantling of criminal networks. While the EFCC often highlights the number of convictions secured, drug-related enforcement agencies appear more focused on sensational figures than on deterrence through accountability.
These agencies must urgently reconsider how they measure and communicate success. There are more credible and responsible ways to demonstrate performance and relevance than flooding the public space with irrelevant and potentially harmful numbers. Rather than focusing public attention on the supposed “street value” of seized or destroyed items, these agencies should redirect their communication strategy toward outcomes that strengthen deterrence and public confidence. Official briefings and media releases should prioritise information on the number of arrests made, criminal networks dismantled, successful prosecutions, and convictions secured with corresponding jail terms.
Importantly, regulatory and enforcement agencies should refrain from publishing or announcing the monetary worth or “street value” of seized drugs, counterfeit medicines, or smuggled goods, as such figures serve no regulatory purpose and risk glamorizing criminal activity. By eliminating the practice of assigning financial value to illicit items and instead emphasizing accountability, judicial outcomes, and systemic disruption of supply chains, these institutions can communicate their achievements in a way that reinforces public safety objectives rather than unintentionally advertising the profitability of crime.
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