As part of NDLEA’s anti-narcotics drug demand reduction efforts, Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has asked that youth corps members undergo drug testing as they report for their mandatory one-year national service at various orientation camps across the country.
Marwa stated this while hosting the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Fadah and his management team for a courtesy visit to the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, August 8, 2022.
With facts and figures from the 2018 national drug survey, the NDLEA chief painted a picture of Nigeria’s drug problem while calling for collective efforts to change the narrative.
“There is a need for drug testing for our youth corps members as they report to the orientation camps,” he said. They will refrain from using drugs once they know they will be tested at the camps. The whole point is to get help to those who test positive early on. This is part of our WADA (War Against Drug Abuse) initiative.
“Nigeria has a drug issue. We’re determined to ensure this is changed but we can’t do it alone, we need organisations like NYSC to reduce and control demand for drugs. Nigeria has insufficient rehabilitation and counselling centres. We need counselling centres in the primary health care centres at the grassroots, where we don’t have enough manpower to cover and this is where the young men and women of NYSC come in. We can train them in their numbers to serve as counsellors at the grassroots level because majority of drug users only need counselling,” he added.
Earlier, Brig. Gen. Fadah stated that he came on the visit to thank NDLEA for previous support to the scheme and to request further collaboration as NYSC prepares to open the doors of orientation camps across the country.
