IBRAHIM QUADRI
The wife of the Lagos State governor, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has said that her office will continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to embark on sensitization and advocacy against drugs abuse, as well as invest in prevention strategies to curb the menace among the youth in the society.
Dr. Sanwo-Olu said this during a Sensitisation/Advocacy Campaign Against Drug Abuse at the 2025 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, themed: “The Evidence is Clear: Invest In Prevention,” held on Thursday at Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo campus.
Mrs Sanwo-Olu said, “I just want to remind you that advocacy is very important, we should invest in prevention. People keep relapsing all the time, so prevention is better. That is the only message we want to pass to the youth.”
She added that the efforts against drug and substance abuse are interwoven, Dr. Sanwo-Olu called on parents, especially mothers, to mobilize against the scourge, as well as urged stakeholders to join hands with the state government to address the menace.
She cautioned youths in the state against indulging in substance abuse and to always say”No to drugs abuse and “Yes to life.”
She added: “It is very important we catch them young to take over the advocacy. Our generation will not waste, our youth will not become vagabonds.
“To the youth, I want you to increase the number of War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) on your campus, to increase from 100 with the capacity of the student, 60,000, to encourage more students on the prevention of drug abuse,” she charged.
Corroborating the First Lady, wife of the Deputy Governor, Oluremi Hamzat, advised students to check what they do “as many lives have been destroyed through substance abuse.”
Hamzat also advised stakeholders to encourage youth to see beyond the challenges and project themselves for a better future, saying that many people fall into drug and substance abuse due to peer pressure.
Mrs Hamzat added that the action has “far-reaching consequences as it affects not only the individuals but also their families, academic pursuits, society, among others.
She advised that prevention is the most effective and compassionate response and that “the time to act is now.”
The LASU’s Vice Chancellor, Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, in her welcome address, said the institution would continue to invest in programmes, clubs, peer support systems and counselling structures that reinforce positive behaviour and discourage drug abuse in all its forms as the university is not only a centre for learning, but also a community for shaping responsible and value-driven citizens.
While quoting the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the National Bureau of Statistics, noted that “over 14.3 million Nigerians, approximately 14.4% of the population aged between 15 to 20, have used drugs at least once in the past year.”
Lamenting that the “figure is almost three times the global average,” Olatunji-Bello alerted that “the majority of these individuals who are affected by substance abuse form within the age brackets, with many being students or young persons.”
The VC said that considering the impact on academic performance, mental health, personal safety, and societal peace, the university, in collaboration with the Office of the First Lady of Lagos State.
She commended Dr. Sanwo-Olu for conceiving the initiative and for choosing LASU as a critical platform for it.
Olatunji-Bello also lauded Sanwo-Olu for her unwavering passion and commitment to the wellbeing of young people her visionary leadership for spearheading this campaign, and inspiring a collective effort towards a drug-free society.
The state Commander, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Lagos Command, Abubakar Wali, said the programme, which featured talks, drama, among other activities, was a collective resolve with Office of the First Lady to safeguard the future of students, as well as young ones in determination to sustain enforcement efforts and prevention strategies against drugs abuse and illicit trafficking.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youths and Social Development, Oluwatoyin Oke-Osanyintolu, said all hands need to be on deck to address the menace of drug abuse, urging people to be their brother’s keeper and stay away from hard drugs.
For a better society
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