The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has called for greater collaboration from teachers, students, and youths in its fight against drug abuse in Nigeria.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, made the appeal on Wednesday during the inauguration of the NAFDAC Catch Them Young Project/NAFDAC Consumer Safety Club at Government Girlsโ Secondary School, Rumuokwuta, Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Represented by NAFDACโs Director for the South-South Zone, Oligbu Chukwuma, Professor Adeyeye expressed concern over the alarming percentage of Nigerians affected by drug abuse.
โI am delighted to be here for the inauguration of the NAFDAC Catch Them Young programme, focusing on drug abuse education and awareness to address this menace in Nigeria.
โThis initiative is critical because it targets the segment of the population most affectedโour youths and, by extension, our teenagers.
โAs part of its mandate, NAFDAC seeks to collaborate with stakeholders on drug demand reduction programmes, including campaigns in secondary schools, to combat drug abuse among young Nigerians.
โOur teachers play a vital role in this fight as they spend significant time with students. I urge teachers to work closely with parents or guardians to identify and address behavioural issues in children and see this effort as part of their contribution to building a better society,โ she said.
Professor Adeyeye highlighted that 14.4 per cent, or approximately 14.3 million Nigerians, are victims of drug abuse. โThis is alarming!โ she lamented.
She explained that the NAFDAC Catch Them Young Programme is a comprehensive initiative targeting secondary schools, aimed at reducing the prevalence of drug abuse among students.
โDrug addiction can stem from both legal substances, such as prescribed medicines, and illicit drugs. This programme is not meant to scare anyone but to foster honest conversations that will help young people make informed decisions about drug use, including alcohol consumption.โ
Professor Adeyeye also emphasised the importance of the NAFDAC Consumer Safety Club as a public enlightenment strategy targeting youths to eradicate fake or substandard products and promote a quality-conscious culture.
โNAFDAC has taken the campaign against drug abuse to the grassroots by re-establishing the NCSC in secondary schools. We will work with teachers and students to catch them young and prevent lives of addiction and destruction.
โWe encourage everyone to be agents of change by promoting values that lead to behavioural transformation. It is time for young Nigerians to understand that the epidemic of drug and alcohol abuse is destroying families, crippling the workforce, and destabilising our economy, all of which pose significant threats to the future of good governance in Nigeria.โ
In his remarks, NAFDACโs Rivers State Coordinator, Onogwu Emmanuel, stated that the programme, launched in September 2024, is being piloted in six schools across the state.
โThis project was flagged off by the NAFDAC DG, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, on 20 September 2024, at Government Secondary School, Tudun Wada, FCT, Abuja.
โYour school, Government Girlsโ Secondary School, Rumuokwuta, is one of the six schools selected in Rivers State for the projectโs commencement.
The programme will initially cover two schools in each of the three senatorial districts in Rivers State and will subsequently expand to other schools across the state,โ he said.
Emmanuel stressed the critical role of youth participation in the fight against drug abuse. โThe youths are the nation builders and future leaders. Their active involvement, whether individually or as a group, is essential to the success of drug abuse prevention initiatives.โ
The principal of the school, Dr Gladys Iheumamme, expressed gratitude to NAFDAC for the initiative and urged the agency to ensure its sustainability.
โI plead with NAFDAC not to simply inaugurate the club and leave us. Sustainability is crucial for the success of this programme. Many initiatives fail due to a lack of resources and follow-up support.
โWe promise that the school authority and teachers will work diligently to support the children, who will serve as our ambassadors in this community,โย sheย said.
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