ENUGU- A Non-Governmental Organisation, Busaosowo Foundation, has urged government at all levels to invest in drug abuse prevention to ensure a drug free country.
The Executive Director of the foundation, Mr Busaosowo Bisong, made the call in a message on Thursday in Enugu to commemorate 2025 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is a day set aside by the United Nations against drug abuse and the illegal drug trade.
The day is celebrated internationally every June 26.
Bisong noted that the biggest obstacle to drug abuse prevention in Nigeria was not the use or availability of drugs, but the absolute lack of political will from governments to invest in drug abuse prevention.
“No state in Nigeria can claim that it does not have a drug problem amongst its young people, yet, drug abuse prevention is being treated like an appendage.
“There is the need for government at all levels to create funding for drug abuse prevention through the ministries of education, health, and youths.
“Reports from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) indicate a sharp rise in drug abuse among young people in Nigeria,” he said.
He disclosed that drugs like marijuana, opioids, tramadol, and codeine-based syrups were being widely misused.
The executive director said that Nigeria was ranked among the top African countries with high drug abuse prevalence, particularly among young people aged 15 to 35.
“So, creating awareness about drug abuse once a year doesn’t translate to drug abuse prevention.
“Drug abuse is a real issue in Nigeria and the silence is deafening. We need effective drug abuse prevention policies that take into consideration the peculiarities of each state.
“We have to integrate drug abuse prevention education into our conventional curriculum as teaching children the definition of drug abuse and its dangers is not sufficient.
“Young people deserve to know how to deal with the risk factors that make them susceptible to drug abuse. Our schools must become safe spaces, not initiation grounds into drug abuse.
“The National Drug Control Master Plan (2021- 2025) was designed to help in dealing with Nigeria’s drug crisis, but little has been accomplished as envisaged by the plan,” he said.
Bisong also said majority of rehabilitation and recovery facilities in Nigeria were run by private individuals, businesses, religious organisations and nonprofits.
“The burden is huge and the government must rise to the responsibility. We need to move from talk to action. The time to act is now.
“The foundation has remained at the forefront of drug abuse prevention, especially among children and young people in the country,” he said. (NAN)
