NAFDAC Reveals Staggering Drug Abuse Figures Among Nigerian Youth.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), disclosed that approximately 14.3 million Nigerians are grappling with drug abuse. This alarming statistic was shared during the inaugural ceremony of NAFDAC’s youth-oriented programme, “Catch Them Young,” at Government Secondary School, Rumuokwuta, Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Prof. Adeyeye highlighted research findings indicating that one in every four high-risk drug users has faced arrest for drug-related offences. She detailed that 73% of these arrests were for drug possession, with other crimes including theft (12%), sex work (5%), burglary (4%), and shoplifting (2%). She underscored that these figures represent only reported arrests, suggesting a much larger, unreported issue.
“The data we have is just the tip of the iceberg; if we account for unreported crimes, the scale of the problem becomes even more daunting,” Adeyeye stated, pointing to the profound impact of drug abuse on families, society, and Nigeria’s socio-economic development.
This grim reality has spurred NAFDAC to launch a comprehensive initiative aimed at curbing drug abuse among secondary school students. “This programme isn’t about instilling fear but fostering honest conversations to empower our youth to make informed decisions regarding drug use, including the consumption of alcohol,” Prof. Adeyeye elaborated.
Mr Onogwu Emmanuel, the State Coordinator for NAFDAC in Rivers, explained the strategic shift of the sensitisation and capacity-building programme to secondary schools, noting that students at this level are particularly vulnerable. He added that the youths, as future leaders, must be engaged in preventing drug abuse. He revealed that the pilot phase of the project would cover two schools in each of the three senatorial zones of Rivers State.
The Principal of Government Secondary School, Rumuokwuta, Gladys Iheumamme, praised NAFDAC’s initiative and called for its continuity to safeguard the future of Nigerian youth. Her remarks echoed the collective hope that such programmes will make a significant dent in the national crisis of drug abuse among the young. (NAN)
