AN ASSESSMENT OF THE BILATERAL COOPERATION BETWEEN NIGERIA AND THE UNITED STATES AGAINST ILLICIT DRUG TRAFFICKING FROM 1989-2012
AN ASSESSMENT OF THE BILATERAL COOPERATION BETWEEN NIGERIA AND THE UNITED STATES AGAINST ILLICIT DRUG TRAFFICKING FROM 1989-2012
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Date
2017-12
Authors
SANUSI, Suleiman Mohammed
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Abstract
Bilateral ormultilateral cooperation is indispensable in combating drug abuse and
trafficking effectively. Nigeria and United States are working cooperatively together to
reduce the demand for illegal drug through prevention, education and public awareness,
treatment, training and research. In addition, the two countries have accepted that they are
transit and drug consumer countries, respectively. Based on this understanding, Nigeria
and United States have proceeded with technical exchanges and cooperative projects in
areas of control of illicit cultivation, drug treatment and demand reduction. This study
assesses the cooperation between Nigeria and the United States against illicit drug
trafficking from 1989 to 2012. The qualitative approach used in this thesis employed both
primary and secondary data which were collected from National Drug Law Enforcement
(NDLEA) Headquarters at Ikoyi, Lagos. The primary data utilisedwas obtained through
in-depth interview with some staff members of the NDLEA and an official of the United
States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) while the secondary data,in form of
publications and annual reports of the agency of documents and records, was collected
from the management of the NDLEA. Further consultations were made with journals,
books, and research papers or articles. The liberal theory of international,which gives a
better explanationof the reasons behind the bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and
United States, was employed as the framework of analysis in the study. The study finds
that the bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and the United States has minimised the
flow of drugs from Nigeria into the United States marked; however, despite the present
efforts of NDLEA and collaborative strategy put in place by the two countries in the fight
against illicit drug trafficking and abuse, the number of people involved in drug
trafficking within Nigeria is still on the increase. This has exposed a weakness in the
nature of the bilateral cooperation, thereby raising the need for the strategy to be
enhanced by a greater coordination and efficiency in the United States interdiction
efforts, not only around flow routes of illicit drugs into the United States, but also around
and within Nigeria‟s borders, in order to check the entry, production and trafficking of
illicit drugs. From the lessons learned from the Nigeria-United States cooperation against
illicit drug trafficking, there are a few obvious conclusions:attacking the source of drugs,
as desired by the United States government, has not completely defeated the enemy in the
war on drugs. So long as the United States does not deal with the demand signals from
within the United States market, it will render efforts at eradication, interdiction and
enforcement moot. Also, a wholesome strategy must be developed to address the menace
within Nigeria in order to ensure that the Nigerian society will cease to be a breeding
ground for any illicit drug production and/or trafficking activities.
Description
A DISSERATATION SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA, NIGERIA DECEMBER, 2017
Keywords
AN ASSESSMENT,, BILATERAL COOPERATION,, NIGERIA, UNITED STATES,, ILLICIT DRUG TRAFFICKING,, 1989-2012,