STEPHEN OLUFEMI ONI 
STEPHEN OLUFEMI ONI reports on the public health concerns and dangers drug abuse is posing, not only to the addicts but also to innocent citizens worldwide, and the commitment of the Kwara State Government to stemming the tide of this menace in The State of Harmony.
Drug abuse, which has intriguingly become a global phenomenon and is causing a great deal of worry, anxiety, and fear among the populace, has been described as the excessive, maladaptive, or addictive use of drugs for non-medical purposes, despite the unambiguous socio-economic, psychological, and physical problems associated with using them with reckless abandon.
While the global community is assiduously battling to check this cankerworm, it is a sad commentary that Nigeria has earned the notoriety of being ranked as one of the top countries with a high prevalence of drug abuse.
In fact, a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), corroborated by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), an agency of the Nigerian government, stated that the prevalence of any drug use in Nigeria in the past year was estimated at 14.4 percent or 14.3 million people aged between 15 and 64 years. The report lamented that “the extent of drug use in Nigeria is comparatively high when compared with the 2016 global annual prevalence of any drug use of 5.6 percent among the adult population.”
Stakeholders’ Concerns
Incidentally, despite the best efforts of stakeholders to nip this public opprobrium in the bud, the report by the anti-drug agency revealed a steady rise in the number of cases of drug abuse across the country, especially among adolescents aged between 10 and 25 years.
Ironically, the NDLEA attributed the reported steep rise in drug use to experimentation during adolescence, which, according to the agency, is a common occurrence in Nigeria due to curiosity and peer pressure, among other factors. Sadly, this trend has caused significant harm not only to the users but also to innocent citizens in society.
In realisation of the grave danger this menace has posed, and is still posing, to the people of Kwara State and the need to complement the efforts of both the Federal Government and the NDLEA the administration of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has deployed a multi-pronged approach to combatting this hydra-headed monster. These strategies include public sensitisation, organisation of summits, trainings and workshops for educators, empowerment programmes, and the creation of employment opportunities for the teeming youths, having realised that an idle hand is the devil’s workshop.
Drug Summit: United for a Safer Kwara
In furtherance of its lofty multi-faceted initiatives, the Kwara State Government, on Thursday, March 20, 2025, held the second edition of its Stakeholders’ Summit on Drug Abuse Prevention and Control in Ilorin, themed: ‘Synthetic Drug Crisis: United For A Safer Kwara’.
The epoch-making event was attended by senior government officials, traditional rulers, youths, and students in large numbers. The session also featured paper presentations, panel discussions, award presentations, and drama performances by students, all centred on the summit’s theme.
It would be recalled that the Kwara State Government, on February 13, 2024, held its first summit on drug abuse prevention and control in Ilorin, which attracted a huge crowd of stakeholders, including hundreds of students from across the 16 local government areas of the state.
Additionally, the state government organised a two-day training on drug abuse, treatment, and care for no fewer than 110 public school teachers drawn from the three senatorial districts, recognising the pivotal role educators play in shaping young minds and preventing drug abuse.
These initiatives have continued to draw wide applause from both national and international organisations, particularly for the government’s pragmatic efforts to arrest the trend of this cankerworm, especially among the teeming youth population.
Speaking at the second Summit on Drug Abuse Prevention and Control, the Special Assistant to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Drug Abuse, Hon. Aileru Olalekan Mukail, assured the people of the administration’s commitment to investing in initiatives and policies aimed at empowering the youths and making drug abuse, as well as other social vices, unappealing to them once again.
According to Aileru, whose office organised the programme, some of the governor’s legacy projects and social protection programmes including the Ilorin Innovation Hub, the Sugar Film Factory, the Garment Factory, and Kwapreneur have been designed to create employment, foster entrepreneurship, and equip youths with the necessary skills to build successful, self-reliant careers.
Optimistic that these initiatives would not only secure the economic future of the youths but also make drug use unattractive to them, Aileru disclosed that the administration has introduced a mandatory drug testing policy for tertiary-level students to identify and rehabilitate users, ensuring a safer and more productive academic environment across the state.
He added that the government would continue to strengthen policies, enhance awareness, and invest in prevention and rehabilitation programmes to safeguard the future of the youths and the state at large.
Drug Experts Sound the Alarm
Drug experts at the summit also raised concerns over the increasing use of synthetic drugs among Nigerian youths, describing it as a growing public health and security concern in recent years.
The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, Budo Egba in Kwara State, Dr. Issa Baba Awoye, in his presentation titled ‘The Neuro-psychiatric Consequences of Synthetic Drug Abuse: A Clinical Perspective’, lamented the surge in the production, trafficking, and consumption of synthetic drugs, particularly among young people. He listed tramadol, codeine cough syrup, methamphetamine (meth), and rohypnol as some of the most commonly abused synthetic substances.
Awoye identified corruption within law enforcement and regulatory agencies as one of the challenges hampering efforts to control the drug trade in the country. He also pointed to inadequate resources for drug control and rehabilitation, urging all three tiers of government to be more proactive and to make adequate budgetary provisions for tackling the issue.
Noting that synthetic drug use is a complex issue requiring a multi-faceted approach, he recommended stricter law enforcement, intensified public education, improved funding, and broader access to medical treatment and rehabilitation services.
The CMD further noted that stigmatisation often prevents drug addicts from seeking help and urged society to show empathy while addressing root causes such as poverty and unemployment, which fuel the problem.
“Obviously, we need to kill the use of psychoactive synthetic drugs before it sends us to a point of uselessness,” Awoye admonished.
A Call for Proper Parenting and Youth Awareness
On her part, the Chairman of the Kwara State House Committee on Information and Youths, Hon. Rukayat Shittu, highlighted that many drug addicts are products of poor parenting or matrimonial crises. She urged parents to adopt proper parenting systems that would “breed a generation we will all be proud of.”
She also advised youths to prayerfully choose their partners and approach marriage with a high sense of responsibility and determination to make it work.
The Monarch’s Counsel
Delivering his keynote speech, the Oloro of Oro Kingdom, Oba Joel Olaniyi Oyatoye Titiloye Olufayo II, stressed the importance of mental health and advised youths to steer clear of drug abuse and other social vices that are detrimental to their future and the well-being of society. He cautioned against idolising celebrities who indulge in drugs as role models.
The monarch also urged community leaders to scale up their responses, mobilise resources, and develop pragmatic strategies to curb the menace within their domains.
“You don’t need to get intoxicated before you can be inspired. Rather than doing that, try to do research and stay focused so you can prosper in life,” the monarch added.
A Collective Fight
The Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Issa Lanre Onilu, advocated a multi-sectoral approach, including community-driven, intelligence-based enforcement, and strengthened legislation in the fight against drug abuse. He applauded Governor AbdulRazaq and Hon. Aileru for championing the anti-drug campaign and pledged NOA’s continued support towards eradicating crime and criminality across the country.
The highlight of the summit was the unveiling of the State Drug Prevention Campus Ambassadors, a group of volunteers committed to working with the state government to champion the fight against substance abuse across tertiary institutions in Kwara State.
