Abstract
The role of the Civil Society Organisation (CSO) as the watchdog of society cannot be overemphasised. However, their roles regarding the control of illicit drugs have remained largely unexplored within the ambit of recent empirical research. This study was therefore positioned to assess the perceived role of CSOs in controlling illicit drug proliferation in Southeast Nigeria. The study was based on the Collective Action Theory. The study adopted the descriptive cross-sectional survey research design, using a sample of 158 respondents who were selected through voluntary participation. Data collection involved the use of web-based survey administration through the Google Form database tool. Respondents completed a questionnaire that measured their perceptions regarding the roles of CSOs towards controlling illicit drugs within their communities, as well as their perceptions about the challenges faced by CSOs in their efforts towards controlling illicit drug proliferation. The collected data were processed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software package version 26. However, data analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics, including frequency counts and simple percentages. The data analysed was presented in tables and charts. Findings of the study revealed that lobbying for policies against illicit drug proliferation was the perceived major role played by the CSOs. This is notwithstanding other important roles, including public sensitization, counselling and rehabilitation, and partnering with government agencies to fight illicit drug proliferation, among other perceived latent roles. The study also found that the perceived challenges of CSOs in the fight against illicit drug proliferation include: lack of funding and resources; lack of government support; difficulty in reaching populations at high risk of illicit drug proliferation, among others. The study therefore recommended the need for the government to work more closely with CSOs to address the problem of illicit drug proliferation in Southeast Nigeria.