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From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the MTN Foundation have called for stronger collaboration, innovation and community-based interventions to combat the growing menace of substance abuse among young people in Enugu State and across Nigeria.
The call was made during a stakeholders’ conference organised in Enugu as part of activities marking the 2026 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
Speakers at the conference warned that rising substance abuse among youths poses serious threats to public health, security, education, and socio-economic development, stressing the need for a coordinated response involving government agencies, development partners, schools, families, and communities.
Executive Director of MTN Foundation, Odunayo Sanya, described substance abuse as a devastating challenge that destroys lives and places enormous emotional and financial burdens on families.
“When it happens, they don’t even know themselves. But the problem is what it causes for the family. You can imagine a mother going to a market and hearing of a disturbance somewhere and running there because it might just be the child she has not seen in months.
“Those who are involved don’t see themselves, but their families suffer. They begin to lie, steal, and lose their identity. The day they enter those drug dens, the person they used to be is gone,” she said.
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Sanya noted that the MTN Foundation’s Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP), launched in 2019, in collaboration with NDLEA and UNODC, was designed to reduce first-time drug use among young people through awareness campaigns, school-based interventions, and stakeholder engagement.
She said the initiative has reached over 50,000 students, trained more than 1,500 teachers, and impacted over 100 million Nigerians through advocacy campaigns.
Speaking on the scale of the challenge in Enugu State, Deputy Commander of Narcotics and Deputy Commander, Drug Demand Reduction Directorate, NDLEA Enugu Command, Owunwa Ibezimako, disclosed that a recent survey conducted by NDLEA and UNODC revealed that over 360,000 youths in the state are actively involved in drug use.
“This translates to roughly 13.4 percent of Enugu youths. The illicit drug consumption menace has assumed a staggering and alarming level and has permeated not just tertiary institutions but secondary and primary schools,” he said.
Representing Governor Peter Mbah, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, stressed that tackling substance abuse requires a “whole-of-society approach.”
“Substance abuse is more than a health issue; it is a development, security, educational and social issue. We must embrace innovation, de-stigmatisation and strategic partnerships to protect our young people and secure our future,” Onyia stated.
