Drug Trafficking Crisis Escalates in Africa
A recent report highlights a troubling surge in drug trafficking and consumption across Africa, driven by rampant state corruption and diminishing law enforcement capabilities. The 2025 Africa Organised Crime Index, released on November 17 by the ENACT project, reveals that markets for cocaine, cannabis, heroin, and synthetic drugs have expanded significantly over the past six years. The findings indicate that drug trafficking is increasingly facilitated by state-embedded actors, while the continent’s ability to combat these threats continues to weaken.
Rapid Growth of Drug Markets
The Africa Organised Crime Index provides a comprehensive overview of illicit economies across the continent, assessing countries based on two key metrics: criminality and resilience. Criminality scores, ranging from 1 to 10, reflect the severity and prevalence of criminal activities, while resilience scores evaluate a country’s capacity to respond to organized crime through political, economic, legal, and social measures. The report identifies drug trafficking as one of Africa’s most rapidly expanding threats, with the cocaine trade emerging as the fastest-growing market since 2019.
Cannabis remains the most widespread drug market in Africa, accounting for 44% of all cannabis herb and resin seized globally in 2023. North Africa, particularly Morocco, dominates global cannabis production, with the country scoring 9.0 on the criminality scale. Despite recent regulatory changes allowing for legal cannabis cultivation, illicit markets remain deeply entrenched. Cannabis is trafficked through various routes, including across the Strait of Gibraltar to Spain and through the Sahara into Libya.
Meanwhile, the cocaine trade has surged dramatically, with West and North Africa serving as major transit hubs for shipments destined for Europe. Recent seizures in countries like Guinea-Bissau and Senegal underscore the scale of trafficking networks. As drug trafficking increases, traditional transit countries are also becoming significant destination markets, leading to a rise in domestic drug consumption.
State Corruption and Declining Resilience
One of the most alarming findings of the Index is the role of state officials in facilitating drug markets. In nearly half of African countries, the influence of state-embedded criminality is classified as “severe.” This complicates law enforcement efforts, as those responsible for upholding the law are often involved in drug trafficking networks. Countries like Nigeria and Kenya exemplify this issue, where corrupt officials have been implicated in facilitating drug trade and using violence to influence elections.
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The Index also reveals a concerning decline in resilience to organized crime across Africa. Currently, 92.5% of African countries are characterized by low resilience, with 23 nations facing a dangerous combination of high criminality and low resilience. Factors contributing to this decline include weak rule of law, inadequate law enforcement resources, and corruption within justice systems. The report emphasizes the need for comprehensive strategies that address state corruption and strengthen civil society’s role in advocating for drug policy reform.
As drug markets continue to expand, the Index calls for urgent action from policymakers to build resilience, combat corruption, and integrate drug market considerations into broader conflict resolution and development planning. The findings serve as a critical reminder of the challenges facing Africa in addressing organized crime and its far-reaching impacts on society.
