In a concerted effort to combat the devastating impact of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking at the grassroots, key stakeholders have called on state governments to urgently adopt and implement community-based interventions, aligning with the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP).
This crucial appeal was voiced by First Lady Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, the Chairman/CEO of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), retired Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, the Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Cheikh Ousmane Toure, and the representative of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Dr. Daniel Amankwaah.
In a statement sent to Persecondnews on Tuesday in Abuja, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, said the remarks were made at a training workshop organised by NDLEA for the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses’ Forum(NGSF) in Abuja on Tuesday, May 6.
In her keynote address to the gathering, the First Lady, who was represented by the wife of the Deputy Senate President, Hajiya Laila Jibrin Barau, commended the NDLEA and the NGSF for the initiative aimed at advancing drug control efforts to the grassroots across the country.
She specifically commended Marwa and his team for their courageous efforts in combating illicit drug abuse and trafficking in the country.
She said: “This training cannot be coming at any better time than now when statistics and daily life experiences are revealing that drugs have infiltrated every nook and cranny of our communities. As a nation, we are confronted with a growing crisis, one that affects the very core of our society, the health, safety, and future of our children.
“The rising tide of drug and substance abuse amongst adolescents is a challenge that we must no longer ignore or tackle in isolation. It requires concerted efforts, community-driven response, one that integrates enforcement, education, family support, and sustained intervention.
“Our presence at this training testifies to the collective resolve we display in ensuring that we strengthen, secure, and safeguard families and communities. Today’s training will ensure that we are adequately armed with the right knowledge, tools, skills, and competencies necessary to effectively tackle this complex issue.
“It is my hope that this capacity-building workshop, through honest discussions and sharing of best practices, will provide valuable insights into evidence-based strategies for prevention, early intervention, and holistic treatment approaches, especially targeting marginalized and vulnerable communities.
“I urge us to utilize the knowledge gathered at this training to develop viable solutions while collaborating with relevant stakeholders, especially the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, other law enforcement agencies, MDAs, civil society organizations, healthcare providers, educators, and community leaders.
“Let us always bear in mind that as state First Ladies, you owe our people the duty to lead by example, to bear their burden, and share in their pain as we jointly confront drug abuse in our society.
“I urge us to continue to provide the right direction through prevention initiatives, advocating for those whose voices have been silenced by addiction, providing community interventions to support recovery and reintegrate people into communities after treatment.
“Let us approach the formidable task ahead with humility, doggedness, and commitment to enable us to build communities where our children are protected from harm and empowered to thrive. Together, we can change the narrative, restore dignity to our communities, and ensure a healthier, safer future for all Nigerians.”
In his address of welcome, Marwa said the drug scourge hinders progress and undermines prospects in an already challenged world.
He said: “Regrettably, Nigeria is not immune to this scourge, which steadily infiltrates every stratum of our society. Statistics, academic research, and lived experiences alike reveal a grim reality about illicit drug use and consequences in the country.
“The magnitude and impact of the drug crisis render the attainment of our national aspiration—improving the health and security of all who dwell within our borders, as enshrined in the National Drug Control Master Plan 2021–2025—a daunting yet inevitable task for any government and people worthy of the name.”
Marwa emphasized the need for all stakeholders at the workshop to adopt urgent, holistic, and inclusive strategies to tackle the drug menace.
He said: “Over the past four years, the NDLEA has pursued this mission with renewed and unwavering zeal, ensuring that Nigeria’s hard-won global and regional drug control successes are not merely preserved but expanded.
“Permit me to inform this distinguished gathering that over the four years, the NDLEA has deployed substantial resources towards a comprehensive assault on the drug problem, yielding significant outcomes.
“Under the drug supply reduction mandate—encompassing drug seizures, arrests, prosecutions, and convictions—we recorded the arrest of 62,595 drug suspects (Including 68 drug barons), the seizure of 10,317,137.55 kilograms of assorted drugs, and secured the conviction of 11,628 offenders. Furthermore, 1,330.56553 hectares of cannabis farms were identified and destroyed.
“To ensure a balanced approach in accordance with international best practices, equal emphasis has been placed on drug demand reduction. Between January 2021 and March 2025, a total of 24,375 drug users received counselling and treatment at NDLEA facilities, primarily through brief interventions.
“Concurrently, 10,501 drug sensitisation programmes were conducted nationwide under the auspices of the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy campaign, reaching diverse target groups within communities. In parallel, a remarkable 3, 843, 789 participants were mobilized to partake in these enlightenment initiatives undertaken across the nation.”
He urged the stakeholders not to surrender to despair over the menace of drug abuse.
Marwa also said: “As patriots and vanguards of our nation’s well-being, it falls on us to strengthen our resolve, to move with deliberate speed towards practical and lasting resolutions that will, God willing, break the vicious cycle of drug abuse. This capacity building event represents a stride, small though it may seem, in the proper direction.
“Since it is at the community level that the burden of the drug menace is most acutely felt, it is vital that stakeholders, including all of us gathered here today, address the different dimensions of the problem from a community-centred perspective.
“This gathering must strive for common ground, developing indigenous and pragmatic solutions that go beyond mere statistics and harrowing headlines, addressing instead the real and harrowing human toll of drug abuse.”
He expressed confidence that the training would strengthen capacities, harness community resources, and unlock the potential needed to formulate and implement evidence-based interventions that would salvage and rejuvenate every segment of vulnerable communities.
“Let us, as frontliners, ever remember: the cost of inaction is infinitely higher than the cost of collective action.
“Your Excellencies, your roles as mothers, changemakers, and drivers of the State Drug Control Committees (SDCC) place upon you a sacred trust—a responsibility not to be borne lightly.
“Through your ingenuity, your states may yet emerge as shining examples, immortalised in gold as bastions of hope that defied the tides of darkness.
“The SDCCs remain a potent platform for fostering multisectoral collaboration in the crucial task of drug demand reduction at the state level. I must fervently implore you to ensure the establishment, strengthening, and revitalisation of these Committees across your respective states.
“Let us always remember that the value of these training events lies not in the richness of their content alone, but in the continued motion and effectiveness of the SDCCs—moving resolutely towards our collective aspiration of a drug-free, resilient Nigeria,” he said.
Also speaking at the workshop, UNODC Country Representative Cheikh Ousmane Toure said: “If the root of this crisis lies in our neighborhoods, schools, and homes, then the solution must too.
“The National Drug Control Master Plan and the WADA initiative remind us of that national framework alone cannot heal fractured communities. Lasting change begins when states and local governments own this fight.”
He reminded the first ladies that their influence extends beyond politics, He said: “You are the custodian of trust in your states. When you speak, community listens. When you act, local governments follow. Today, I urge us to channel this unique power into three pillars of action.
“Number one, state-led resource mobilization. Every state must prioritize dedicated budget for prevention and treatment.
“This means establishing a state-specific drug control task force to align with NDLEA’s national efforts, allocating local government funds to build community drop-in centres, safe space for counseling, and care within walking distance of those in need.”
The UNODC chief stated further that states must adopt evidence-based programmes to their cultural contexts, and decentralize treatment access.
The Head of ECOWAS Drug Prevention and Control Division, Dr. Amankwaah spoke in same light in his goodwill message, urging state governments to invest in prevention and treatment efforts at the state and community-levels.
The experts who served as resource persons during the workshop’s technical session included Dr. Martins Agwogie, Prof. Akintunde Oyedokun, Dr. Akanidomo Ibanga, Dr. Kunle Adeshina, Dr. Abubakar Salami, and Dr. Ngozi Madubuike.
Leave a comment