DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE AMONG FEMALES IN SELECTED IDP CAMPS IN THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA, NIGERIA

Abstract

Early experimentation with hard drugs and substances has increased tremendously among young girls and women in Nigeria, especially in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. The consequence of this is the increase in the likelihood of addiction in these girls and young women which may impede human security. Even though scholarly attention has been paid to substance abuse and its diverse physical and psychological implications, not many studies have been carried out using gender as a point of interrogation and analysis. Society is structured to view men as aggressors and thus, it is common to focus on men in substance abuse discourse than on women. More importantly, is the fact that the travails of displaced females living in camps have always been interrogated from victimhood perspectives with little attention paid to how their experiences are changing gender roles, especially in northern Nigeria. This study is qualitative and employs an explorative research design. It relies on both primary and secondary sources of data. The study was carried out in three (3) selected IDP camps in the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, Nigeria namely; Area 1, New Kuchingoro and Kuje IDP Camps. Collected data were content-analysed using thematic and narrative styles. The study examines the factors responsible for the increased use of hard drugs by young girls and women in the selected IDP camps, the common types of substance used by them, the implication for human security and the most effective ways of tackling the menace.   Keywords; Substance use, Females, Human Security, Internally Displaced Persons, Abuja Nigeria