Declare State of Emergency on Drug Abuse in Nigeria, Forum Tells FG

Ogbodo Ozioma Favour

The Nigeria Governor’s Spouses Forum (NGSF) has asked the Federal Government (FG) to declare a substance abuse emergency in the nation in other to fight the drug abuse pandemic

Olufolake Abdulrasaq, the forum chairperson signed this resolution on Tuesday at a two-day Drug Prevention Treatment Training and Care (DPTC) workshop organized by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for the governor’s wives in Abuja.

The National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) spokesperson, Femi Babafemi made this statement on Tuesday in Abuja affirming this.

This First Ladies said that various resolutions should be made to stop the continuous abuse of drugs in Nigeria through sensitization while listing out different resolutions to be followed.

“The nexus between drug use and the heightened level of criminality, the increasing number of school dropouts, social and health issues, family problems, including violent extremism, kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism, and its resultant impact on food security, the safety of lives and properties, foreign direct investment, the economy, and the national security”, The first ladies said.

“The urgent need to take control and reinvigorate the State Drug Control Committees (SDCC) for optimal functioning for the States that have one, and encourage States that do not have to constitute one, to increase rehabilitation programmes that focus on holistic recovery, addressing both physical and mental health of drug addiction as well as harm reduction,”

 “The need to foster good parenting through parents’ teachers’ associations, and community outreach programs and to support the NDLEA Drug Integrity Testing Policy for early detection of drug users and timely intervention to prevent the progression to addiction/dependency;

“Agrees to work as a body and facilitator towards strengthening collaboration and cooperation between State governments, NDLEA and other security agencies in the fight against drug use and trafficking;

“Agrees also to support the building of at least three standard drug rehabilitation centres, one in each senatorial zone of the State to cater for drug users within the states and reduce the challenges of costs, access and stigma to drug treatment;

“Further agrees to use their good offices to liaise with the State Governors to facilitate the establishment, where no one exists, and strengthening, where it exists, of States Drug Control Committees (SDC) and appoint first ladies of States as chairs of the committees with NDLEA State Commander as the Secretary, for effective action against drug use prevalence, treatment and care.

“Adopts the Drug Abuse Prevention Treatment and Care (DPTC) programmes in States as a Forum project, to be chaired by the first ladies of the States, to help curb the menace of drug use and foster greater access to treatment for women who use drugs by reducing to the barest minimum stigmatization and cultural push back.”

“Adopts also projects and policies that foster cooperation with private sector and civil society organisations in the development of standardised treatment centres across the States of the Federation;

“Fosters active collaboration with, and providing support to, NDLEA Commands in States to embed DPTC in all their anti-drug intervention programmes and realises the need to create skill acquisition centres and employment opportunities for young people to reduce being lured into drug use and trafficking.”