Beyond evidence and reality: the politics, political economy and fallout of hawkish regulatory policy on prescription drugs in Nigeria
Drugs, Habits and Social Policy
ISSN: 2752-6739
Article publication date: 14 July 2023
Issue publication date: 28 November 2023
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the politics, political economy, and fallout of hawkish regulatory policy on prescription drugs in Nigeria. Hawkish regulatory policy on prescription drug in Nigeria, such as opioid analgesics, is a very complex and multifaceted one, which usually involves the interplay of many factors and parties.
Design/methodology/approach
Policy manuals, official government gazettes (legislations, regulations, Acts and decrees), academic literature and a direct ethnographic observation of events surrounding the regulation of prescription drugs were reviewed and engaged.
Findings
The results revealed that Nigerian and global political economy and politics interface to define the direction of the new restrictive opioid policy, with resultant friction between prohibition and consumption. The reviews showed that the overarching “get-tough” and “repressive” policy are not necessarily founded on empirical evidence of an increase in prescription drug sales or use, but more as a product of the interplay of both internal and external politics and the prevailing socioeconomic order.
Practical implications
Instead of borrowing extensively from or being influenced by repressive Western drug laws and perspectives, Nigerian policymakers on prescription opioids should take control of the process by drawing up a home-grown policy that is less intrusive and punitive in nature for better outcomes. A mental sea change is required to understand the intrigues of Western power in Nigeria’s politics and political economy to avoid the continuous symptomatic failure of drug policy.
Originality/value
The politics and economic influence of the United Nations, USA and Western powers, as well as the axiom of moral panic of prescription drugs scares within the Nigerian environment, are particularly significant in the making of the emerging hawkish policy on prescription drugs in Nigeria.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Professors Stenius Kerstin and Tom Kettunen for their incisive and insightful comments, suggestions and proofreading of this paper.
Declaration of conflicting interests: The authors declared that they have no potential conflict of interest.
Funding: The authors received no financial or nonfinancial support for the research.
Ethical standards and informed consent: The Research Ethics Committee of the Alex Ekwueme Federal University University Ndufu-Alike, Nigeria approved this study, and all participants granted their free and informed consent. In addition, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) permits the reproduction of their public statistics with full acknowledgements.
Data availability: All data that support the findings of this study are available from the lead author upon reasonable request.
Citation
Otu, S.E., Nnam, M.U., Eteng, M.J., Amugo, I.M. and Idowu, B.M. (2023), "Beyond evidence and reality: the politics, political economy and fallout of hawkish regulatory policy on prescription drugs in Nigeria", Drugs, Habits and Social Policy, Vol. 24 No. 4, pp. 320-341. https://doi.org/10.1108/DHS-11-2022-0045
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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