The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has projected a 40 per cent increase on drug use in Africa by 2030.
The UNODC made this known at the Quiz Competition Grand Finale organised by MTN in commemoration of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, on Friday in Abuja.
This year’s World Drug Day theme is: “People First: Stop Stigma and Discrimination, Strengthen Prevention”.
The UNODC Country Representative, Dr Oliver Stolpe said that the theme for this year’s celebration was particularly relevant for Nigeria as data indicated a growing drug use problem.
According to him, the 2018 Nigeria Drug Use Survey put Nigeria’s drug use prevalence at over 3 times the global average, with users being predominantly young people between the ages of 16 and 34.
Stolpe said: “As at the 2018 Survey, there were over 14.8 million Nigerians who had used drugs with 3 million of them living with a drug use disorder.
“There are projections that the drug use prevalence in Africa will increase by 40 per cent by 2030 and for a country like Nigeria with a teeming youth population, this is alarming
“It should be a wakeup call to everyone, not just NDLEA, or other stakeholders currently working in this field.
“All hands must be on deck to reverse this negative trend. Our youth are our future and the current indices do not bode well for the future of the country,”
Stolpe said UNODC, in the course of its work together with key stakeholders had developed several prevention initiatives.
They include: Strengthening Families Programme, Line Up Live Up, Drug Education for School Children and UNPLUGGED Prevention Programme accordingly.
He commended the MTN Foundation for partnering with UNODC, NDLEA and the Federal Ministry of Education in supporting the implementation of the UNPLUGGED programme in several states.
NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa said the quiz competition was to provide learning opportunities for students to develop skills and attitudes about drugs and to appreciate the benefits of a healthy life styles.
Marwa, represented by Shedrack Haruna, Executive Secretary, NDLEA, said the competition would provide knowledge to make healthier personal choices and avoid risky situations that can predispose one to drug use.
“To build coping skills to be able to resist the pressure to use drugs and encourage peer education.
“It is hoped that you will teach others who did not have the opportunity of being part of the whole exercise,” he said.
The Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation, Mrs Odunayo Sanya said the quiz competition was aimed at creating awareness of substance abuse among secondary students.
Sanya also said it was to assess the level of awareness and knowledge of substance abuse and substance abuse issues among secondary school students.
“The competition aims to recruit participants as advocates for ASAP in their respective schools,” she said.
18 schools participated at the initial stage and only six schools made it to the final stage of the quiz competition.
PTA-NADP International College, Lafia, Nasarawa clinched the 1st position, Anglican Girls Grammar School, Benin City, emerged 2nd and Government Girls’ Secondary School, Yola emerged 3rd.
Nasarawa, Adamawa, Enugu, Oyo, Kastina and Edo States, participated in the quiz.
