Washington, DC — Although Nigeria remains a "worldwide hub" of narcotics trafficking and money-laundering, last year "it made a significant step forward," in the international war against narcotics, by extraditing to the US, four major traffickers and has been "certified," Randy Beers, Assistant Secretary for Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs said Thursday.

Under U.S. law the President must certify each year whether governments of major drug producing countries have fully cooperated with the United States in the fight against drugs, or taken "adequate" steps on their own to meet the goals and objectives of the 1988 UN drug convention.

If a country is not certified it is ineligible for most forms of US assistance with the exception of humanitarian aid. The US is also obligated to vote against any assistance loans in multi-lateral institutions. Countries considered "vital" to the national interests of the United States can be exempted from these sanctions.

Serious problem still remain, the State Department's official Year 2000 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report acknowledges. ""Years of military rule and an associated economic decline contributed significantly to the expansion of drug trafficking and criminality in Nigeria... This problem is compounded by pervasive corruption throughout all levels of government."

Full Report Narcotics Control Strategy Report: Africa and the Middle East