A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Drug Free World Africa (DFWA), yesterday had a march against drug abuse in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to create awareness and sensitise the public on the danger of drug abuse.
The executive director of the NGO, Dr. Lina Okereke, said the organization has initiated and conducted verifiable programmes and project against drug and illicit substances abuses in 23 states in Nigeria and eight other African countries.
She noted that before the middle of 2023, the group will have covered all the 36 states in the country.
“Drug Free World Africa (DFWA) has initiated and conducted verifiable and advantages programmes and projects against Drug & Illicit substance abuse through theory coordinator across these 23 states of Nigeria, eight African countries but not limited to Nasarawa, Kano, Kaduna, Maiduguri, Kogi. Sokoto, Imo, Anambra, Rivers, Cross Rivers, Bayelsa, Ghana, Sierra-leone Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Liberia to let but a few,” she said.
She added that, the group is focusing more on the students, by catching them young, enlighten them about drug abuse and debunked the lies been told that drugs boost their memory.
Meanwhile, the minister of state for education, Hon. Goodluck Nanah Opiah, represented by his aide on security, Captain Bishop Johnson said, the minister welcomes any programmes or event that will curb the menace of drug abuse among the students.
“The Ministry always has an open door policy for anybody, that has any kind of initiative that will help, you know, reduce drug and illicit substance abuse, particularly as its relates to our education institutions. So, the doors are always open for any organisation that would want to collaborate with the Ministry.
“This kind of sensitisation help in reducing use of illicit drugs. Yeah. So there is no better way to reduce the abuse of drugs more than educational awareness. Taking the message to the people and trying to educate them to understand the dangers of abusing drugs, to individuals, to the families to their communities, and even to the country as a whole is a national security matter,” he said.
