NDLEA, MTN Foundation unveil initiative to curb substance abuse in Enugu
By Alex Enebeli
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and MTN Foundation on Tuesday unveiled expanded interventions under the Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP), aimed at tackling substance abuse among Nigerian youths.
The event which held at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Enugu, had as its theme: “The World Drug Problem: Persisting Issues, New Challenges, Innovation Responses”.
Speaking, the Executive Director, MTN Foundation, Mrs Odunayo Sanya, said the organisation’s intervention was driven by growing concerns over the increasing vulnerability of young people to drug abuse and its devastating impact on families and society.
Sanya noted that the foundation’s anti-drug advocacy aligned with its focus on youth development, capacity building and economic empowerment, stressing that substance abuse remained a major threat to Nigeria’s future human capital.
According to her, the foundation’s ASAP initiative, 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.
She explained that the programme was designed to prevent first-time drug use among young people, particularly secondary school students, while empowering student ambassadors to spread anti-drug messages within their communities.
Sanya added that the foundation had sustained partnerships with the NDLEA, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and relevant government agencies to expand awareness, treatment support and community engagement efforts.
She said: “We envision a Nigeria where no individual or community is left behind”.
She noted that MTN Foundation had invested about N33 billion in social interventions across various sectors, impacting millions of Nigerians.
She also highlighted the foundation’s interventions in Enugu state, including ICT and business skills training for youths, health facility upgrades, teacher development programmes and women empowerment initiatives.
In his remarks, Mr Owunwa Ibezimako, NDLEA Deputy Commander of Narcotics and Deputy Commander, Drug Demand Reduction Directorate (DDRD), warned that drug abuse remained a major enabler of organised crime in Nigeria.
He said that illicit drug trafficking and consumption continued to fuel criminal activities across the country, adding that Nigeria had increasingly become a transit route for dangerous substances.
Ibezimako described drug-related crime as a growing national security concern and commended MTN Foundation for partnering with the agency through the ASAP programme.
He said the initiative represented a strategic intervention focused on awareness creation, education and reintegration of affected persons.
He also disclosed that a recent survey conducted in Enugu State in collaboration with the UNODC revealed that more than 360,000 youths were involved in drug use.
According to the deputy commander, the survey represented a prevalence rate of 13.4 per cent among young people in the state.
He called for sustained collaboration among stakeholders, including government institutions, development partners and civil society organisations, to strengthen prevention, treatment and rehabilitation programmes.
Also speaking on behalf of Gov. Peter Mbah, Secretary to the Enugu State Government (SSG), Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, described substance abuse as not only a health issue but also a development, education, security and social challenge.
Onyia said the state government had prioritised youth development through investments in education, healthcare and human capital development, including the ongoing construction of 267 Smart Green Schools across the state.
He stressed that prevention remained the most effective strategy in combating substance abuse, noting that educated, empowered and engaged youths were less susceptible to drug abuse and criminal influence.
The SSG commended MTN Foundation’s anti-drug initiative, describing it as a critical support for government efforts, particularly in awareness creation, teacher capacity building and youth sensitisation.
He further urged stakeholders to adopt a whole-of-society approach involving parents, schools, religious organisations, traditional institutions, security agencies and civil society groups in addressing the menace of drug abuse.