MTN Foundation, NDLEA Partner On Drug Abuse Reduction Among Students

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said its partnership with MTN Foundation on the ASAP Quiz Competition on substance abuse is expected to reduce the rate of substance abuse among secondary school students in Nigeria.

A 2018 Drug Use survey conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) revealed that about 14.3 million Nigerians aged between 15 and 64 have used psychoactive substances.

The uptake in the abuse of substances by young Nigerians, has underscored an urgent need to drive awareness against substance abuse among secondary school students in Nigeria.

The director, Drug Demand Reduction, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Dr Ngozi Maduibuike, said that, “the increase in the use of drugs among young people of secondary school age necessitated the NDLEA’s partnership with MTN Foundation to organise a quiz competition among secondary school students.”

The NDLEA director explained that the quiz competition is designed to provide young people with learning opportunities to develop skills and attitudes about drugs that enable them to appreciate the benefits of a healthy lifestyle; to build coping skills among students to be able to resist the pressure to use drugs; and to encourage peer education among young people on substance abuse.

In a 2018 study conducted by African Healthcare Services on substance use among secondary school students in Oyo state, it was found that the proportion of respondents who were substance abusers was significantly higher among students who had not received any formal lectures on substance abuse at school compared to those who had been taught.

This further proves the importance of education and sensitisation among secondary school students in Nigeria in the fight against substance abuse.

The Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP) quiz competition is designed to provide participants with the necessary information to make healthier personal choices and avoid risky situations that can predispose them to substance use.

The competition is also designed to provide an avenue for participants to act as advocates against substance abuse, educating peers and even members of the family unit on the dangers, triggers and effects of substance abuse.

Following the elimination round of the quiz competition which was held virtually between June 6 and 7, 2023, six secondary schools emerged as finalists and will compete for the grand prize at the final round of the competition which is to be held physically on June 23 in Abuja.