Millions of opioid tablets manufactured in India are reportedly worsening a growing drug crisis across West and Central Africa, where officials say the medicines are being misused and contributing to rising addiction rates, overdoses and deaths.
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According to an investigation by AFP, high-strength tapentadol tablets are being widely sold in roadside kiosks, informal pharmacies and black markets in countries including Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Ghana. The synthetic opioid, which is significantly stronger than commonly prescribed painkillers, has not been approved at such high doses by major global regulators.
Millions of tapentadol tablets from India are helping drive a deadly opioid epidemic ravaging the region, with officials and researchers telling AFP that they are also being added to the “zombie drug” kush.
The cheap pills are so strong that no regulatory authority in the world… pic.twitter.com/rGdJuwWkjK
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) May 14, 2026
Authorities and health experts say the pills are increasingly being mixed into kush, a dangerous street drug often referred to as a “zombie drug” because of its severe physical and psychological effects on users. Sierra Leone and Liberia have already declared national emergencies over kush abuse.
Researchers and anti-drug officials say some Indian pharmaceutical companies continue exporting large volumes of tapentadol despite India’s previous crackdown on similar opioid combinations. Shipment records reviewed by AFP showed millions of dollars worth of the drug being exported monthly to African destinations where the medicine is either restricted or entirely banned.
Officials in affected countries say many labourers, miners and transport workers initially use the pills to cope with physically demanding jobs, as the drug suppresses pain and boosts endurance. Over time, however, dependence develops rapidly, increasing demand and fuelling illegal distribution networks.
Law enforcement agencies in Nigeria have seized billions of opioid tablets in recent years, while Sierra Leonean authorities report a sharp increase in addiction among young people, including students.
India’s pharmaceutical industry representatives have defended licensed manufacturers, arguing that exporters cannot be held responsible for misuse after products enter foreign markets. However, health experts say weak regulation, limited enforcement and poor public awareness have allowed the crisis to deepen.
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Analysts warn that unless stricter controls are implemented on production, export approvals and cross-border trafficking, Africa’s opioid crisis could worsen further, placing additional strain on already fragile healthcare and rehabilitation systems across the region.