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Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Tuesday said his administration is deploying different strategies and investing in people-oriented programmes that encourage young people to follow noble paths and avoid drug abuse and other social vices in the state.
The Governor was speaking in Ilorin at the 1st Kwara Stakeholders Summit on Drug Abuse Prevention and Control, which was themed “Forging a Common Front in the Fight against Drug Abuse”.
The summit was organised by the Office of the Special Assistant to the Governor on Drug Abuse Prevention and Control, Hon. Aileru Olamilekan Mukail.
Attended by dozens of young people and keynoted by different experts on narcotics, the programme featured panel discussions, cultural display and drama.
Top attendees included Senior Special Assistant to the President on Citizenship and Leadership Ms Rinsola Abiola; state parliamentarians, cabinet members, and top government officials.
The Governor said the session was designed to interact, examine, and make attempts at proffering solutions to the social problem.
“We understand that drug abuse has different roots, including idleness and lack of direction in life. It is for this reason that we are deploying different strategies to prevent crimes,” he said.
“Our investments in people-oriented interventions in the past four years are designed to create the enabling environment where our youth are gainfully engaged and involved in productive endeavors.”
Represented by Commissioner for Social Development Hon. Afolashade Opeyemi, the Governor said the multi-pronged approaches his government deploys are yielding positive results.
“We are very intentional in the campaign against drug abuse. The recent appointment of Honourable Aileru Olamilekan Mukail as Special Assistant on Drug Abuse and Prevention is expected to drive the process,” the Governor said.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Drug Abuse Prevention and Control, Hon. Aileru Olamilekan Mukail said that the event was another platform to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and forge concrete action plans, asking all stakeholders to leverage collective wisdom to unravel the roots of drug abuse, develop effective prevention strategies, and ensure accessible treatment and rehabilitation for those struggling.
“This summit is not a one-day event; it’s the dawn of a movement a movement that transcends individual backgrounds, affiliations, and ideologies. It’s about shared purpose, about safeguarding our children, our families, and our future,” he said.
NDLEA Commander, Kwara State Command, Bashir Ibrahim Muhammed, who spoke on “Drug Law Enforcement in Kwara: Progress, Challenges and Way Forward”, said the alarming rate of drug abuse among the youth in Nigeria and particularly in Kwara State calls for concern of all the stakeholders.
He thanked AbdulRazaq for his support so far and pledged that the agency will strengthen constant education, enforcement, and rehabilitation programmes to rid the state of drug addiction.
He said the command will soon commence training of trainers in communities, who he said will comprise community and religious leaders in the state on how to prevent and control drug abuse.
Dr Agwogie, who spoke on “The Journey of Drug Control in Nigeria: The Gaps and Way Forward “, said it takes a holistic approach to win the fight against substance abuse, suggesting that states and local governments should constitute drug abuse control committees for greater results.
He said that rather than just arrest and prosecute offenders, the government at all levels should also inquire into why people abuse drugs.
The majority of addicts are ignorant about the risk of their indulgence, he added.
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