The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has revealed that approximately 14.3 million Nigerians are affected by drug abuse.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of NAFDAC’s youth programme, Catch Them Young, held at Government Secondary School, Rumuokwuta, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday, Adeyeye shared troubling statistics about drug-related crimes.
According to her, research shows that one in four high-risk drug users has been arrested for offences such as drug possession (73%), theft (12%), sex work (5%), burglary (4%), and shoplifting (2%).
She emphasised that these figures only represent reported cases, highlighting the likelihood of a much larger unreported problem.
“The negative effects of drug abuse on families, society, and the nation’s socio-economic development cannot be overstated,” she said.
This concern, she explained, spurred NAFDAC to develop an intensive programme aimed at curbing drug abuse among secondary school students.
Prof. Adeyeye noted that drug addiction could stem from both legal substances, such as prescribed medications, and illicit drugs.
She reassured students that the programme was not meant to instil fear but to foster honest conversations about making informed decisions regarding drug use, including alcohol consumption.
State Coordinator of NAFDAC in Rivers, Mr. Onogwu Emmanuel, elaborated on the agency’s decision to take its sensitisation and capacity-building efforts directly to secondary schools.
He described secondary students as particularly vulnerable and emphasised their role as future leaders in combating drug abuse.
The pilot phase of the project involves two schools selected from each of Rivers State’s three senatorial zones.
In her remarks, the school’s principal, Gladys Iheumamme, praised NAFDAC for the initiative and urged the agency to sustain the programme to secure a better future for Nigerian youth. (NAN)