Alcohol consumption is a big
business in Nigeria with consumers spending just less than a quarter of a
trillion naira in 2016. According to the latest data from the nation’s
statistics bureau, in 2016 alone, Nigerians spent at least N208 billion
on alcohol – this amount was more than the budget of Ondo State for that
year.
A breakdown of the nation’s sobriety pattern shows the
South South zone is the least restrained community of alcohol consumers.
There, N74.4 billion was spent on alcohol, making the states of Delta,
Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross Rivers the section of the
country inhabiting the most enthusiastic drinkers in the year.
The
seven states of Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Kano, Sokoto, and
Zamfara, making up the North West zone, comparatively have the most
restrained drinkers. But they still spent at least N2.6 billion to
assuage the palate of alcohol drinkers.
Federal statisticians
at the NBS say the South East with N44 billion, the South West with N37
billion, the North-central with N30 billion, and the North-east with
N19.6 billion follow in that sequence of alcohol consumers in the
country.
However, in terms of rural-urban divide, federal
statisticians say there are way more drinkers in Nigeria’s rural
communities than in the urban areas. Rural communities spent N125
billion naira on alcohol consumption, whilst the urban spend N82.5
billion naira.
Abubakar Jimoh, director of special duties for
the nation’s food and drug agency, NAFDAC, blamed what appears to be
the high level of alcohol consumption in Nigeria on factors that include
the relatively unfettered access to the products, and a disposition of
Nigerians to abuse the bounds of regulation.
“Many of this
alcohol are stored in a sachet and as such it is predisposing people to
more alcohol consumption which is injurious to public health, under the
realm of packaging and trying to modernise things.
Though alcohol
consumption differs among the various ethnic groups in Nigeria, the
contours of rituals, marriage ceremonies, and chieftaincy enthronement
provide passage for it to find entry in the cultural demands of many
communities and people.
What health experts say about alcohol consumption
According
to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), one of every
10 cancer cases in Nigeria can be traced to alcohol, and 4.7 per cent
of overall cancer cases in Nigeria last year can be attributed to
alcohol.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said in 2014,
Nigeria consumed an average of 23.1 litres of pure alcohol annually,
while 50.1g of pure alcohol is consumed daily by drinkers aged 15 years
and above.
In its Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health, the
WHO also estimates that in 2016 more than three million people died all
over the world as a result of the harmful use of alcohol.
This
represents 1 in 20 deaths. Men accounted for more than three-quarters of
these deaths. Overall, the harmful use of alcohol causes more than five
per cent of the global disease burden.
Expert speak
Tavershima
Adongo, a medical consultant with the medical journalism programme at
the Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism, explained that
“Alcoholism is the chronic condition that develops from uncontrolled
drinking and preoccupation with alcohol, leading to a physical and
emotional dependence.” He added that “this condition affects about 1.5
million Nigerians yearly, often progressing from a state of alcohol
abuse were individuals consume alcohol in sufficient quantities that can
be in infrequent periods as once a week.”
Mr Adongo remarks that
“immediate short term effects can include systemic effects such as
nausea and vomiting, behavioural and mood affectation such as
aggression, self destructive tendencies, hyperactivity and anxiety, to
long term disease and personality changes that lead to disorganization
with an overall effect on individual performance and interpersonal
relationships.
South South N74.4 billion
South East N44 billion
South West N37 billion
North-Central N30 billion
North-East N19.6 billion
North West N2.6 billion
Source: NBS