From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu has launched the “Save Our Families” campaign, led by the National Drug Law Agency (NDLEA), to combat drug abuse in Nigeria. The campaign focuses on early detection through home drug testing kits, encouraging families to test their children regularly.
President Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, launched the campaign at the United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse And Illicit Drug Trafficking, otherwise known as World Drug Day, with the theme: “The Evidence is Clear: Invest In Prevention”.
President Tinubu, who was the Special Guest of Honour, reaffirmed his commitment to combating drug abuse and illicit trafficking, emphasizing the importance of investing in prevention to tackle the global challenge of drug abuse. He stated that “Prevention not only saves lives; it also saves resources that would otherwise be spent on treatment and rehabilitation.”
He acknowledged the efforts of organizations, communities, and individuals working tirelessly to prevent drug abuse and its associated harms, recognizing their dedication and commitment as invaluable in the collective fight against the illicit drug menace.
Tinubu stressed that illicit drugs and substances have wreaked havoc on individuals, families, communities, and countries worldwide, with devastating socio-economic and health consequences that put a strain on healthcare systems and impose a burden on governments and people.
According to him, investing in prevention is a prudent way of safeguarding the future, as it empowers individuals to make informed choices, promotes healthy lifestyles, and creates resilient communities capable of withstanding the pressures of drug abuse.
President Tinubu expressed support for the NDLEA’s fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking, as well as its ramped-up efforts to prevent the Nigerian populace from falling prey to the drug scourge.
The President said: “I enjoin all and sundry to support the War Against Drug Abuse initiative, otherwise known as the WADA campaign, launched by NDLEA three years ago. I commend and urge everyone to redouble their efforts to combat drug abuse and trafficking in the country.
“On this score, I wish to reassure you of this administration’s support. The Renewed Hope Agenda places the youth at the centre of its focus. Therefore, we ensure that our young people are protected from anything that could derail their future or destroy their potential.”
He urged all Nigerians to join hands in this noble cause. “This is an assignment for all patriotic citizens of this country, including religious leaders, traditional leaders, educational institutions, opinion leaders, and civil society organizations. NDLEA has created a formidable platform for cooperation vis-à-vis its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy initiative,” he said.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd), speaking more on the SOF campaign, said the initiative is to encourage families to test their children regularly, serving as a deterrent for potential drug use.
He said that the ‘Save Our Families’ social advocacy campaign launched at the ceremony by the President, is designed to prevent and tackle drug use through early detection and intervention by making the Agency’s newly produced special drug test kits a necessity in every home, schools and workplaces.
According to him, “The Agency has introduced the Drug Integrity Test initiative anticipated to metamorphose into an anti-drug culture for every Nigerian. The test is intended for secondary school students, students seeking admission into tertiary institutions and returning students, workers in government and private offices and individuals seeking political offices as well as prospective couples before taking their marriage vows. The drug test will serve as a tool for the prevention of drug use and early detection of the individual’s status of drug use for the purpose of appropriate intervention including treatment and rehabilitation. Let me also add that our drug integrity test, which has been adopted by some government institutions and tertiary institutions in the country, is a preventive mechanism.
“As a result, we have produced tens of thousands of special test kits capable of detecting 15 different substances, now available in all our commands across the country. This is for use in homes, schools, workplaces and others. Apart from helping in early detection of drug abuse especially by our youths so that we can get them help in the form of treatment, this will also create some deterrence effects.”
Speaking on the theme for this year’s World Drug Day, Marwa said drug use prevention lies at the heart of NDLEA’s strategy in addressing the drug problem because it is far more effective and cost-efficient to prevent drug abuse than to deal with its consequences.
Marwa outlined the agency’s key strategies in tackling Nigeria’s drug problem.
He stressed the importance of investing in prevention, stating that it is far more cost-effective than dealing with the consequences of drug use disorder.
As part of its reforms, he said NDLEA has employed a balanced approach by ensuring that Drug Demand Reduction efforts complement supply reduction efforts. The agency’s flagship programme, the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), has been a tremendous success in engaging stakeholders, including government sectors, institutions, and non-governmental organizations, to create awareness and encourage people to shun illicit substances.
He said between 2021 and 2024, NDLEA embarked on 6,423 sensitization and education programmes targeting young people in school and 987 programmes for out-of-school youths to raise awareness about the dangers associated with drug use.
He said the agency also collaborates with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to implement the “Unplugged” programme in secondary schools, an evidence-based initiative aimed at providing young people with information on drugs, challenging their beliefs, and teaching them coping skills to resist the pressure to take drugs.
In addition to preventive measures, NDLEA, Marwa said has intensified its offensive action against drug cartels and traffickers.
According to him, the agency’s painstaking investigations and diligent prosecution of cases have resulted in the arrests and convictions of several drug barons, with two serial traffickers receiving life imprisonment in April 2024.
He added that the NDLEA has also targeted cannabis sativa at its source, locating and destroying 1,057 hectares of cannabis farms in the past three years.
As part of its Alternative Development Programme, Marwa said NDLEA plans to persuade cannabis farmers to grow cash crops instead, providing them with incentives to forgo the cultivation of the psychoactive plant. He said this initiative is crucial, considering that out of 14.3 million Nigerians aged 15-64 who abused drugs in 2018, 10.6 million of them actually abused cannabis.
He said apart from the various plans and initiatives deployed as preventive measures against the availability and access of illicit substances as well as their abuse by citizens, the Agency has been providing counselling and treatment for people struggling with drug dependence across 30 of its treatment and counselling centres nationwide where 33, 453 drug users had been treated in three and a half years.
The NDLEA boss said is equally not relenting in its effort to cut off illicit drug supply channels and dismantle trafficking networks. “After all, when you cut off drug supplies, you deny users availability and access to them, including insurgents, terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and sundry criminals who rely on drugs to foster their criminalities”, he added.
In this regard, he noted: “The magnitude of our effort is reflected in the statistics of our drug supply reduction activities. We have arrested 52, 901 drug traffickers, including 48 barons, in three and a half years. Over 9, 000 of the suspects have been convicted in court. We have also seized over the same period 7.6 million kilograms of assorted illicit substances.”
Marwa expressed gratitude to the federal and state governments, as well as various stakeholders, including the UNODC, foreign partners, and the media, for their support in the agency’s onslaught against drug traffickers.
He stressed the need for continued collaboration and investment in drug use preventive measures to avoid a projected 40% rise in the population of drug users in Nigeria by 2030, especially among the youth.
He disclosed that in the past three years, NDLEA has successfully counselled, treated, and rehabilitated 33,453 individuals in its 30 rehabilitation facilities nationwide, mostly through brief interventions. Three new rehabilitation centers, equipped with in-patient and out-patient facilities, and medical and psychological support, will be commissioned soon.
Marwa added that NDLEA has arrested 52,901 drug traffickers, including 48 barons, and seized over 7.6 million kilograms of assorted illicit substances in the past three and a half years.
Marwa concluded by challenging parents, teachers, and guardians to work together with resolve and determination to build a world where every individual has the opportunity to live a healthy, drug-free life.
Outgoing Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Oliver Stolpe, in his remarks, issued a stark warning regarding the increasing prevalence of drug use in Nigeria.
His remarks came as the UNODC launched its 2024 World Drug Report, which estimates that 292 million or 5.6 per cent of the world’s population aged 15 to 64 used illicit drugs during the past year, a 20 per cent increase over the past 10 years.
He highlighted that while cannabis remains the main drug sourced, trafficked, and used in Africa, he regretted that the continent continues to be used as a transit area for drugs such as cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine.
He also noted the significant risk posed by the non-medical use of tramadol, a pharmaceutical opioid, with more than 90 per cent of tramadol seized in the past 5 years worldwide being seized in Africa.
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