Nigeria
Africa
#166 of 196 worldwide
#47 of 54 in Africa
Possession carries long mandatory prison terms under the NDLEA Act, despite Nigeria being one of the world's largest consumer populations.
Score breakdown ▏world average
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Possession · 25%0/10adds 0.0 of 25 points
Under the NDLEA Act, possession of cannabis ('Indian hemp') without lawful authority carries a prison term of not less than fifteen and not more than twenty-five years. In practice many small cases end in much shorter sentences through plea deals or lesser charges — but the statutory minimum is among the highest anywhere.
Personal cultivation · 25%0/10adds 0.0 of 25 points
Production and cultivation are punishable by life imprisonment.
Punishment & enforcement · 20%1/10adds 2.0 of 20 points
The drug agency runs constant raids, farm destructions and arrests. Nigeria has one of the largest populations of cannabis users in the world, so the law touches very large numbers of people.
Sharing & gifting · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
Sale carries life imprisonment under the Act.
Consumption · 10%1/10adds 1.0 of 10 points
Use is covered by the same fifteen-to-twenty-five-year provision.
Legal access · 10%0/10adds 0.0 of 10 points
More context not part of the score
None. Bills to license medical and industrial cannabis have been introduced in the National Assembly without passing; the drug agency opposes them.
A conviction is a criminal record; the agency also pushes drug testing for students, politicians and couples before marriage.
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