Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah, has said that drug abuse should no longer be treated as a purely health or social problem, but as a major security challenge affecting national stability.
Mbah made the position known through the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, at the MTN Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP) Stakeholders Conference held at the International Conference Centre, Enugu.
The governor said substance abuse has become one of the most pressing social and public threats of the present time, warning that its impact goes beyond individuals to families, communities, institutions and the wider economy.
He stressed the need to treat the menace as a multi-dimensional challenge.
“It is more than a health issue; it is a development issue, a security issue, an educational issue and a social issue,” he said, adding that its consequences threaten the productivity and wellbeing of young people.
Mbah noted that drug abuse must also be seen as a “generational constraint” that can undermine the development of a viable and productive youth population if not urgently addressed.
According to him, government responses must evolve through innovation, collaboration, education and sustained commitment among stakeholders.
He also commended MTN Nigeria Foundation, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), educational institutions, civil society organisations and community leaders for their efforts in tackling substance abuse.
The governor maintained that the future of Enugu State depends heavily on the quality, productivity and wellbeing of its young people.
Earlier, the Executive Director of MTN Foundation, Mrs. Odunayo Sanya, said the organisation’s vision is to ensure that no community or individual is left behind in the fight against drug abuse.
She explained that the MTN ASAP initiative, launched in 2019, was designed to reduce the number of first-time drug users through awareness, education and prevention programmes.
