Junior Chamber International, JCI Aso, and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have called for stronger efforts to prevent drug abuse and addiction across Nigerian communities.
The organisations said early sensitisation and community involvement must become central to the country’s response to substance abuse.
They made the call on Saturday in Kubwa, Abuja, during the 2026 JCI Aso Project Save A Soul.
The programme, themed “Stronger Body, Stronger Mind, Stronger Nation,” focused on educating young people and communities about the dangers of substance abuse.
JCI Aso President, Peter Emmanuel Yilbiem, said the initiative was created to give communities practical knowledge about identifying, preventing and responding to drug abuse.
He explained that the organisation partnered with the NDLEA and other stakeholders because the consequences of substance abuse extend beyond individual users.
According to him, families and community members often struggle to know how to help people involved in drug use.
Yilbiem said the campaign therefore sought to equip them with information needed to encourage affected persons to seek appropriate support.
He also called for greater government backing for agencies working to combat substance abuse.
“The organisations like the NDLEA, they are doing a lot, but they still need the support of government to be able to do more,” he said.
Yilbiem urged stakeholders to make drug abuse prevention a wider national conversation rather than limiting discussions to small community gatherings.
An Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics at the NDLEA National Headquarters, Pascal Iwegbu, said the agency was taking its anti-drug campaign directly to communities.
He said NDLEA engagements now target schools, religious centres and other grassroots communities.
Iwegbu identified ignorance, peer pressure, curiosity and environmental influences among factors that could push people toward substance abuse.
He warned residents about the health dangers associated with illicit drugs and encouraged communities to report suspected drug dealers to the appropriate authorities.
The NDLEA official also disclosed that the agency had introduced an alternative development programme for people involved in cultivating illicit drugs.
He said the pilot programme in Ondo State provides participants with agricultural inputs and financial support to pursue legitimate farming.
The support includes seedlings, fertilisers, sprayers, equipment and cash capital.
Iwegbu further urged parents to become more involved in their children’s lives, particularly by monitoring their friends, activities and behaviour.
“Simple. Talk to your children. You catch them young,” he said.
Guest speaker, Amb. Kenneth Anetor, Executive Director of Newton International Foundation, said the situation required greater investment in prevention.
He expressed concern over attitudes toward drug use in some communities, citing an example of a young boy who reportedly believed drugs could provide the energy needed for work.
Anetor said such perceptions demonstrated the need for sustained education and community engagement.
He argued that Nigeria should not wait for people to become addicted before investing in solutions.
“The evidence is clear. It’s time to invest in prevention,” he said.
Anetor also linked drug abuse with wider social challenges, including insecurity and violence.
He called for increased funding for drug demand reduction, prevention programmes and rehabilitation centres.
Chairperson of the 2026 Project Save A Soul, Engr. Rosemary Echeune Onuh, described the initiative as an advocacy campaign targeting youths and communities.
She expressed hope that parents who participated would pass the lessons from the programme to their children.
A programme beneficiary, Rhoda Oviritsa, also stressed the importance of parental supervision.
She said parents should pay attention to their children’s friendships, moral upbringing and activities to reduce their exposure to harmful substances.
Oviritsa maintained that stronger parental involvement could help prevent children from being influenced by peer pressure and other factors associated with drug abuse.
The stakeholders agreed that prevention, education and community participation would remain essential to addressing the country’s drug abuse challenge.
