There is a call for the federal and state governments to declare a state of emergency on substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria. This is aimed at mobilizing resources to tackle the pandemic of drug abuse.
The Nigeria Governors Spouses Forum (NGSF) made this call in a communique signed by the Chairperson of the Forum and the First Lady of Kwara State, Ambassador Olufolake Abdulrasaq.
The call comes after the conclusion of a two-day Drug Prevention Treatment and Care (DPTC) training organised by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for the wives of state governors in Abuja.
The governors’ wives emphasized the need to reinvigorate the State Drug Control Committees (SDCC) for optimal functioning of the states and stressed the urgency of declaring a state of emergency on illicit drug use and trafficking. They urged both the Federal Government and state governors to mobilize resources to tackle the challenge.
According to Femi Babafemi, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, the communique also resolves to promote good parenting through parent-teacher associations and community outreach programs. They also pledged support for the NDLEA Drug Integrity Testing Policy for early detection of drug users and timely intervention to prevent addiction/dependency.
The first ladies also agreed to work as a body and facilitator to strengthen collaboration and cooperation between State governments, NDLEA, and other security agencies in the fight against drug use and trafficking. They also committed to supporting the establishment of at least three standard drug rehabilitation centres, one in each senatorial zone of the State.
Additionally, they agreed to facilitate the establishment, where none exists, and strengthen, where it exists, the States Drug Control Committees (SDC) and appoint the first ladies of states as chairs of the committees to take effective action against drug use prevalence, treatment, and care.
They also adopted the Drug Abuse Prevention Treatment and Care (DPTC) programmes in states as a Forum project, chaired by the first ladies of the states, to help curb the menace of drug use and provide greater access to treatment for women who use drugs by reducing stigmatization and cultural pushback.
Projects and policies that foster cooperation with the private sector and civil society organizations in the development of standardized treatment centres across the States of the Federation were also adopted.