The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said that more than 360,000 youths in Enugu State are actively involved in hard drug use, representing about 13.4 per cent of the state’s youth population.

It stated that the discovery followed a recent survey it conducted with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) across the state, lamenting that active drug use had spread beyond tertiary institutions to secondary and even primary schools.

The disclosure came as the MTN Foundation said it has invested over N33 billion in development initiatives across Nigeria, including education, health among others, especially targeted towards the welfare of the youth.

These disclosures were made at the MTN Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP) Stakeholders’ Conference held at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Enugu, in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the NDLEA, with the theme, “It’s Everyone’s Fight.”

Speaking on the growing drug abuse challenge, Deputy Commander of Narcotics and Drug Demand Reduction, NDLEA, Owunwa Ibezimako, described the situation as alarming and warned that drugs remain a major driver of organised crime and insecurity.

“Drugs and crime are not strange bedfellows. For every organised crime in Nigeria, drugs are either the enablers or enhancers. This conference could not have come at a better time,” Ibezimako stated.

The NDLEA official noted that under the leadership of the agency’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd.), initiatives such as the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign and the Save Our Families initiative had strengthened drug demand reduction efforts nationwide.

He also revealed that a national policy mandating drug tests for students seeking admission into tertiary institutions and for newly employed government workers had been implemented, while the Enugu State Command was pursuing the introduction of a drug awareness and prevention curriculum in schools.

Executive Director of the MTN Foundation, Mrs. Odunayo Sanya, said the Foundation’s N33 billion investment since its establishment had supported interventions to add values to the life of the ordinary people of the country.

Sanya said the Foundation was created to drive social investments that align with Nigeria’s development priorities and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, with special focus on health, capacity building and economic empowerment.

She added that youth development remains a strategic priority for the foundation, stressing that Nigeria’s youthful population represents one of the country’s greatest assets and requires sustained investments in education, skills acquisition and leadership development.

“Our future lies in our young people. That is why youth development remains a strategic focus for us. We believe that investing in people is the most sustainable way to drive national growth and development,” she stated.

She explained that the MTN Anti-Substance Abuse Programme, launched in 2019 in partnership with the NDLEA and UNODC, was designed to reduce first-time substance abuse among young Nigerians through awareness campaigns, advocacy and school-based interventions.

The programme, she disclosed, has reached more than 50,000 students nationwide, trained over 1,500 teachers and created a network of anti-substance abuse ambassadors, while public awareness campaigns have reached over 100 million Nigerians.

Sanya further highlighted the foundation’s investments in digital empowerment through the MTN Skills Academy and ICT and Business Skills Training Programme, which provide free technology and entrepreneurship training for young Nigerians.

She added that the foundation revitalised 49 primary healthcare centres across Nigeria in the past year, providing healthcare access to more than 500,000 people, supporting the delivery of about 12,000 babies and facilitating the immunisation of over 200,000 children.

Meanwhile, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah stated that substance abuse should be treated not only as a health issue but also as a development, security, educational and social challenge requiring a collective response.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Chidiebere Onyia, he commended the MTN Foundation, NDLEA, UNODC, educational institutions, civil society groups and community leaders for joining forces against substance abuse, stressing that the problem demands innovation, collaboration, education and sustained commitment from all stakeholders.

He urged society to embrace rehabilitation rather than stigmatisation of individuals battling addiction, insisting that affected persons need support, counselling and reintegration, while reaffirming the Mbah administration’s commitment to youth development, education, healthcare and human capital advancement as key strategies for preventing substance abuse.

Stakeholders at the event, harped on the need for increased awareness, create safe spaces where young people can access credible information, seek help without fear and develop resilience against negative influences as a way to check the increasing trend.

They also called for more training for handlers of youths as well as increase in the number of Counsellors in the various educational institutions to stem the tide. (The Guardian)