Representative members (N=173) of yandaba (young, male, urban gangs in Kano, Nigeria) aged
13-29 years (mean age= 19.3years, SD = 3.81), recruited through street outreach, were invited
to complete self-report anonymous questionnaires about their patterns of drug and alcohol use.
Of these, nine participants were randomly reselected to participate in oral interviews about their
motivation towards psychoactive drug/alcohol use. High rates of cannabis, tobacco (nicotine),
rophynol, codeine, and alcohol misuse appear to exist among this group, in addition to other improvised
local drugs. The choice of certain types of drugs or intoxicants among the group could
be affected by their cost implication (i.e., affordability), availability and commonality. A thematic
analysis of the qualitative interviews suggests “strategic intoxication” to get the job done, the need
to maintain cohesion and/or increase solidarity, and relationships with politicians as the probable
risk factors to explain substance misuse among this group.