THE WEST AFRICA-LATIN AMERICA DRUG TRAFFICKING EPIDEMIC; AN INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS

West Africa, like any other region in the world, has had to swallow its fair share of modern-day political, economic and social dilemmas. One phenomenon that has had huge negative implications on the political, economic and social spheres of almost every country on the face of the earth is the production, trafficking, marketing and consumption of illicit drugs. The countries in West Africa have not been spared of the negative consequences of illicit drugs. While some countries have an illicit drug production problem, others have a consumption problem. The countries in West Africa have an illicit drug trafficking problem. The current transcontinental drug trade in hard drugs in West Africa is rising at such a high rate and has captured the attention of the world because of the magnanimity of the negative political consequences in the region. The scale of the current Latin American drug trade transmitting through West Africa has never been seen before and so are its political consequences in the region. The fact that diplomats, political figures, non-governmental organizations and almost all sectors of civil society and security services are so concerned about it justifies how very different the present West African international drug trade has become. There is a very high chance that if the current trend in drug infiltration continues, most countries, especially Guinea-Bissau, in the region will be plunged into chaos and political instability because they do not have strong institutions to deal with the infestation. In other words, the infiltration of the region by Europe-bound illicit drugs from Latin America, coupled with the weak institutions in most of the region\u27s sixteen countries, will result in sustained political disorder. Therefore, a well-researched thesis on this contemporary phenomenon is warranted