Stakeholders from government institutions, civil society groups, MTN Foundation and youth-focused initiatives have called for a united approach to eradicate substance abuse among young people, describing the menace as a growing threat to public health, security, and national development.
According to MTN Foundation, its Anti-Substance Abuse Programme, ASAP, launched in 2019, has reached more than 50,000 secondary school students nationwide, trained over 1,500 teachers, and indirectly impacted millions of Nigerians through awareness campaigns.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ conference organised by the MTN Foundation in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) held in Kaduna, the state Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Comrade Barde Yunana Markus, disclosed that over three million Nigerians need urgent treatment for substance abuse.
Markus emphasised the state government’s commitment to combating drug abuse through preventive measures, awareness campaigns, and youth empowerment initiatives.
According to him, substance abuse remains one of the major social challenges affecting young people and undermining efforts to achieve sustainable development.
The commissioner stressed the importance of collaboration among stakeholders to protect the future of the nation’s youth, “We have the Kaduna State Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency. The government is doing a lot through the empowerment of youth”
“The fight against substance abuse cannot be left to the government alone. It requires the collective efforts of families, communities, civil society organisations, development partners, and the youths themselves,” he stated.
On his part, Kaduna State Commandant, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Mai Jama’a Shu’aibu, said the agency has done a lot in combating illicit drugs and substance abuse, appealing to parents and guardians to monitor their children and always advise them against drug usage.
