NGO Trains 500 Indigent Students on Prevention of Illicit Drug Use
A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Freedom Foundation, in partnership with Drug Abuse Prevention Centre (DAPC), has concluded a six-month anti-drug abuse campaign which witnessed the training of 500 in-school and out-of-school youths in OshodiIsolo Local Government Area of Lagos on ways to prevent or delay the initiation of drug use.
The campaign, which began in January according to the foundation, is aimed at educating the students on different ways to prevent or delay early initiation to drug use.
The event Coordinating Manager, Miss Oluwakemi Odedeyi disclosed this recently at a conference organised by foundation in partnership with DAPC, in Lekki, Lagos.
Odedeyi stated that it is no longer news to the average Nigerian that the Nigerian community is saturated with illicit drugs and substances harmful to human health.
“As we conclude our six-month anti-drug abuse campaign which began in January, has seen to the training of 500 in-school and out-of-school youths in Oshodi-Isolo LGA on ways to prevent or delay the initiation of drug, online community awareness, creation of drug-free clubs in secondary schools within the community, school advocacies, among other awareness programmes.
She added that the campaign came in different segments, which includes a creative art competition where students were allowed to express their thoughts and ideas about drug abuse in Nigeria through creative arts such as drawing, music and spoken words to win amazing prices.
The youths comprising secondary school students from Raising Sun Secondary School, Isolo; Chrisland High School, Lekki, among others, called on the federal government to nip in the bud the growing tide of drug abuse and the distribution of illicit drugs within the country.
According to them, the future of the average Nigerian youth may be at a huge risk of jeopardy and failure if the growing concern of drugs use and abuse is not properly addressed.
The students who expressed their thoughts through creative methods such as drawings, spoken word, poems and drama, highlighted the causes of drug abuse in Nigeria, its effects on adolescents and youths and the role of parents, as well as the youths in curbing the menace of drugs in the country.
The winner of the creative art competition, Master Ibrahim Shittu, a student of New Hall International School, said, “we learnt a lot and personally, I was able to identify various ways to avoid drug abuse and also speak up when my peers try to lure me into trying any drugs.”