Is Cathinone legal in Nigeria?

Legal status

Controlled. The Nigeria dossier places cathinone under sections 11, 20 and 52 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30 (the NDLEA Act), on the incorporated schedule entry «Cathinone.», and states that section 52 defines the controlled class by the 1961 or 1971 Convention schedules. The dossier does not say which of the two Conventions or which of their schedules prints the entry, and it does not name the edition of the schedules it read; it records the entry as checked on 20 September 2026 against the INCB list cited in source_url. The previous cell for this substance placed cathinone in 1971 Convention Schedule I as khat's principal alkaloid, distinct from the khat plant and from the synthetic cathinones; that placement is not printed in the quotation the dossier row carries. It also recorded that the Act's death penalty provision for trafficking was repealed in 1986 and converted to life imprisonment.

Consequences if caught

Capital exposure: none. The ceiling the dossier records for cathinone is imprisonment for life: it states that sections 11(a) to (c) and 20(2)(a) of the Act prescribe life imprisonment for the specified production, trafficking or dealing conduct, that no quantity threshold is stated, and that the words «shall» and «be imprisonment for life» make the life term mandatory on the section's face. The row records no band beyond that ceiling. The dossier's penalty note states «Sections 19 and 20(2)(b) use 15 to 25 years for other conduct.»; it does not say which conduct that covers, so this cell does not attach the band to any particular act.

If prescribed or medical

The dossier row this cell rests on does not state a prescription or medical route for cathinone.

Documentation

The dossier row this cell rests on does not state a traveller documentation rule for cathinone.

Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Nigeria’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.