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The West Africa Commission on Drugs was launched by the
Kofi Annan Foundation The Kofi Annan Foundation is an independent, not-for profit organization that works to promote better global governance and strengthen the capacities of people and countries to achieve a fairer, more peaceful world. It was founded and legally inco ...
in 2014.
Olusegun Obasanjo Chief Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Ogunboye Aremu Obasanjo, , ( ; yo, Olúṣẹ́gun Ọbásanjọ́ ; born 5 March 1937) is a Nigerian political and military leader who served as Nigeria's head of state from 1976 to 1979 and later as its pres ...
chaired the commission. Obasanjo urged strengthening law enforcement and refocussing efforts on "high-level criminals rather than the easy – and misleading – wins gained by arresting drug users and petty dealers." It produced a report
Not Just in Transit: Drugs, the State and Society in West Africa
which was launched in
Dakar Dakar ( ; ; wo, Ndakaaru) (from daqaar ''tamarind''), is the capital and largest city of Senegal. The city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 3.94 million in 2 ...
, Senegal on 11 September 2018. The report urged West African governments to overhaul their drug laws to decriminalise personal use and prioritise treatment. Abuse of opioids, particularly
Tramadol Tramadol, sold under the brand name Ultram among others, is an opioid pain medication used to treat moderate to moderately severe pain. When taken by mouth in an immediate-release formulation, the onset of pain relief usually begins within an h ...
has become a major health crisis in the region. The commission proposed a detailed Model Drug Law which would end all criminal penalties relating to personal drug use and possession. This would allow law enforcement efforts to focus on unauthorised drug production and trafficking offences. It is suggested that Ghana may become the first Sub-Saharan country to decriminalise personal drug use and possession.


References

{{reflist Drug policy Drugs in Africa