Chijioke Iremeka
Stakeholders have emphasised the crucial need for synergy in combating substance abuse among young people.
They called for collaborative efforts, stressing that working together as a cohesive team would bolster the fight against substance abuse in the country.
The stakeholders, who spoke during a colloquium on ‘Safeguarding Our Youth and Communities’, held at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, said Nigeria needs urgent actions to tackle the rising rate of substance abuse and crime among youth.
The Chairperson, Board of Trustee of the International Society for Prevention of Substance Abuse and Crime, Zainab Yusuf-Ogunlana, said the stakeholders gathered with a profound sense of purpose and shared responsibility to tackle the menace.
Speaking on the Theme, ‘Safeguarding Our Youth and Communities: Confronting the New Frontiers of Substance Abuse and Crime-Protecting Our Young People and Students from the Twin Threats,’ he said together, Nigerians are stronger and more capable of making a real difference.
Yusuf-Ogunlana noted that Nigeria is currently faced with unprecedented challenges and that substance abuse and crime evolve and pose new threats to the safety and well-being of the youth and communities where they work, live, and play.
She said, “This colloquium serves as a platform for us to confront these issues head-on and to devise innovative strategies to protect our young people and students from these dual dangers.
“Our gathering today brings together a distinguished group of experts, practitioners, educators, policymakers, and advocates. Their presence signifies a collective commitment to addressing these pressing issues through collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and actionable solutions.
“Together, we are stronger and more capable of making a real difference. Our goal is to develop comprehensive approaches to prevention, intervention, and support that will safeguard our youth from substance abuse and crime.
“We recognise that these issues are complex and multifaceted, requiring a concerted effort across various sectors of society. Our youth are the future, and we must create safe and nurturing environments where they can thrive.”
Yusuf-Ogunlana added that by protecting the youth from the twin threats of substance abuse and crime, the country will be investing in a healthier, safer, and more prosperous future for all.
She, however, said such effort requires not only immediate action but also a long-term commitment to sustainable change.
Also, a Professor of Strategic Communications, Disinformation, Digital and Media Literacy at the Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Olunifesi Suraj, said Nigerians should be able to challenge certain policies militating against achieving drug-free society and youth.
He stated that non-punishment of the children due to certain policies in the school should be discouraged, insisting that it was the discipline inculcated in him and his siblings in their childhood that made them outstanding.
Suraj, who is the guest speaker and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Consultant on Media and Information, said the family value system is dropping, noting that it is the reason crime and cases of substance abuse are on the increase.
He urged parents to monitor what their children do on the internet and to also be their children’s friends on social media so that they can effectively monitor and see what they are doing.
Suraj emphasised the need for parents who are not internet savvy to learn from their children, noting that when the children know that their parents are following them on social media, they will be more careful.
He blamed the surge in substance abuse on the media and peer influence, noting that the media, which is also the problem can be a solution to the problem too if properly harnessed for mind reshaping.
Speaking on the solution, he said since there is a message in the media that drives this menace, there has to be a counter-message narrative to discourage young people from substance abuse and crime.
Suraj insisted that media is pivotal in changing the mindset of the people, adding that whoever owns media and controls the media, also controls the mind.
He stated, “In countering the media narrative, there is a need for a well-designed programme and message in the media that would be clear enough to redirect the minds of the people who had gone with substance addiction. If the message is not well designed, it will not meet the desired outcome.
“A message like ‘I am drug-free. Are you drug-free? What is your drug status? could do a lot by encouraging people not to get involved in drugs.
“There are two approaches to dealing with the menace. There is a priority audience and influential audience that we need to focus on when trying to get the youth back on track. Sometimes, when we focus on these young people, we fail but when we focus on something else that is influencing them, we get results.
“When you see a high-ranking officer in the barracks smoking, they can easily influence these people to smoke because those are the people they respect and admire. So, in discouraging them, you need to get people like these to reach out to them and tell them that drugs and crime are bad.
“There are also some musicians that you can call to say ‘drug addiction is bad, not good.’ These messages should be targeted at behavioural change. You need to get them to understand the impact of such on their health.”
On regulating the influx of illicit drugs, the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof Christina Adeyeye, said the agency does not control the use of illicit drugs but was set up to regulate and control the manufactured products, importation or exportation of regulated products.
The NAFDAC DG, who was represented by the Director of Narcotics and Controlled Substances, Yedunni Adenuga, eliminating drug use in the community is a community-based action that should be carried out in collaboration with local governments.
She said, “For instance, if you see someone taking a coloured substance, how will you prove that such person is taking illicit drugs? Also, there is always an angle of the law to it but we have to bring it to our environment.
“If you see someone carrying certain kinds of drinks, and there are no laws to prosecute them it becomes an issue. For instance, which law will be used to prosecute agbo sellers in the open market?
“Like I said, we don’t regulate illicit drugs. We have a lot of violations from our professionals like pharmacists, doctors, and others but you can’t do anything about that. Some laws are not drafted to care for certain things.”
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