Tinubu calls on global community to rise against drug abuse.

 

President Bola Tinubu has called on the international community to intensify collective action against the growing global drug crisis, warning of its devastating impact on public health, security, and development.

Delivering a message to mark World Drug Day 2025, Tinubu described the drug epidemic as one of the most urgent challenges of the era. He stressed that no country is immune to its far-reaching consequences.

“The theme of this year’s observance, ‘The Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention’, is both timely and urgent,” Tinubu said.

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, the President warned that drug abuse destroys lives, tears families apart, and fuels insecurity. “Violent crimes have been closely linked to substance abuse,” he said.

Tinubu expressed appreciation to global stakeholders and commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), led by Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), for its expanded role in enforcement, prevention, rehabilitation, and reintegration.

Emphasising a holistic and compassionate approach, Tinubu declared: “Drug dependence is not a moral failing.

Recovery is a journey that requires supportive environments, mental health care, safe housing, and a society that offers second chances.”

He advocated stronger investment in school-based initiatives, grassroots mobilisation, and youth-focused campaigns to encourage informed choices and drug-free living.

In his keynote address, Dr. Mosun Belo-Olusoga, Who is the chairman, MTN foundation emphasized that youth development is one of the core pillars of MTN Foundation. She also noted that the Foundation’s Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP) is driven by the alarming reality that 70% of Nigeria’s population is under 25 and increasingly vulnerable to drug addiction.

“The statistics from the UNODC are clear: substance abuse is rising. But rather than wait until rehabilitation is needed, we focus on prevention,”

“Through the Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP), we actively propagate and raise awareness through social media, targeted campaigns, and interventions in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

“Since our launch in 2019, we’ve reached millions of Nigerians especially youths and aim to do even more – not alone, but alongside great minds like yours.

“This is all our fight, and we need to play a part in sensitizing communities and developing new policies to counter this scourge. At our Foundation, we’re facilitating discussions and stakeholder conferences like this, educating communities in collaboration with the National Youth Service Corps (NYC) and hosting a quiz competition to increase awareness, among 86,400 students and 1,440 teachers from 144 public secondary schools in 12 States.

“This of course, is in addition to the advocacy walks in tertiary institutions across Abuja, Enugu, Kano, and Lagos States, and our partnership with the NDLEA on their 24/7 roll-free psycho-social support helpline for affected youth.

Speaking further, the President also linked drug abuse to broader socio-economic issues such as poverty, inequality, and violence, noting that any effective strategy must be anchored in inclusive development and human rights protection.

Reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to international cooperation, Tinubu pledged to deepen partnerships, strengthen enforcement, and promote sustainable solutions under his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Let us seize this moment not just to reflect, but to act,” he urged. “Together, we can build a future where prevention is effective, treatment is accessible, and recovery is celebrated.”

At the World Drug Day event held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) issued a stark warning about Nigeria’s escalating drug crisis, linking over 90 per cent of terrorism, kidnapping, and violent crimes to drug use.

“The evidence is clear, drug abuse is driving violent crime in Nigeria,” Marwa said. “More than 90 per cent of those involved in terrorism, kidnapping, and violence are drug users.”

He described the threat as widespread and no longer confined to the streets, now infiltrating schools, homes, and communities. With Nigeria’s population exceeding 230 million, Marwa urged that prevention be recognised as a national security imperative.

He also referenced the 2018 National Drug Use Survey, which showed that 14.4% of Nigerians aged 15-64 (approximately 14.3 million people) used drugs, almost triple the global average.

“We had 10.6 million cannabis users alone. That’s more than the population of some countries,” he added.

Marwa outlined NDLEA’s three-pronged strategy: prevention, rehabilitation, and enforcement.

Under prevention, he said the agency had intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, conducting over 11,000 sensitisation programs nationwide in schools, markets, places of worship, motor parks, and workplaces.

He highlighted the growing adoption of drug integrity testing in universities and institutions as a condition for admission and employment.

“We are promoting early detection in families through the Save Our Families initiative. Parents must ask questions, teachers must instil values, and the media must amplify the urgency of this fight,” he said.

Regarding rehabilitation, Marwa stated that the agency operates 30 treatment centres, where over 26,000 individuals have received care in the past 18 months. Seven more centres have been approved in the 2025 budget, bringing the total to 37, with one in each state and the FCT.

He also revealed plans to launch a dedicated NDLEA radio station by the end of the year to enhance awareness and advocacy.

On the enforcement front, Marwa reported that in the last four and a half years, the agency has arrested over 66,000 drug offenders, including 94 drug barons.

The anti-drug czar said the agency also seized 11.1 million kilograms of illicit drugs and secured more than 12,000 convictions, with some offenders serving life sentences.

He credited the Tinubu administration, the National Assembly, state governors, and security agencies for their support, while acknowledging key international partners, including the UNODC, European Union, US DEA, UK Home Office, and the governments of France, India, Saudi Arabia, and Germany.

“We’ve made progress, but the task ahead is enormous,” Marwa said. “Drug abuse is not just a health issue, it’s a governance, security, and moral issue.”

The NDLEA boss in his closing remarks, made a passionate appeal: “Our children don’t just need money, they need presence, values, and discipline. Let us invest in prevention today so we don’t pay the price of rehabilitation tomorrow.”