President Bola Tinubu has declared that the fight against the scourge of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria must be embraced by all as a national movement, rather than one for governments alone.
Tinubu stated this in his keynote address at the grand finale of a weeklong programme to commemorate the 2025 World Drug Day at the Presidential Villa Conference Centre in Abuja, on Thursday.
“Let us also be clear: this fight is not one for governments alone. It must be a national movement—driven by families, faith leaders, civil society organisations, youth groups, community leaders, businesses, and, crucially, people with lived experience. Their voices matter. Their stories inspire. Their leadership is essential.
“At the same time, we must not ignore the deeper roots of this crisis. Drug abuse is tied to poverty, inequality, violence and conflict. To effectively tackle this problem, our approach must be comprehensive. We must foster peace. We must promote inclusive development. And we must uphold human rights every step of the way,” the President said.
Tinubu who was represented by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Senator George Akume, assured that Nigeria stands firmly with the global community in the effort to tame the scourge of drug abuse and its consequences.
“We are committed to working hand in hand with all nations to end this menace and tame illicit trafficking of substances. Together, we can dismantle the systems that sustain this crisis. Together, we can build a future where prevention is strong, treatment is accessible, and recovery is not just possible—but celebrated.
“There is no doubt that in the past two years, this has been the focus of the Renewed Hope Agenda of our administration; breaking the burden of poverty, uplifting millions out of squalor and caring for the needs of the masses especially our youth population through student loans scheme and other empowerment initiatives,” he added.
In his welcome remark, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Marwa (rtd) said there is no better time than now for the country to take drug use prevention seriously.
According to him, “The reality around us is a strong indication—a wake-up call—for us as parents, guardians and governments to step up preventive measures.
“For our nation, prevention is particularly critical, as we are already grappling with a serious challenge. Seven years ago, we came to the stark realisation that Nigeria had one of the highest drug abuse prevalence rates in the world.
“Today, with a population exceeding 230 million, it is both urgent and pragmatic to prevent new individuals from being drawn into the population of drug users. As parents, guardians, and leaders, we must be more vigilant and recognise that the issue of drug abuse is not distant—it is close to home.
“We must acknowledge that children are especially vulnerable, and we should not dismiss experimentation with illicit drugs as behaviour limited to a particular demographic.”
Marwa explained that the NDLEA has continued to strengthen prevention strategies while being ferocious in its drug supply reduction activities.
He emphasised that addressing the socio-economic drivers of drug abuse was also crucial, as a prevention strategy.
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