FG Unveils Coordinated Offensive Against Drug Cartels, Moves to Expand Treatment, Rehabilitation
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- The Nigerian government is intensifying its efforts to dismantle drug trafficking networks and combat substance abuse.
- President Bola Tinubu's administration is committed to preventing illicit drug use and expanding treatment and rehabilitation programs.
- A National Drug Use Summit was held in Abuja to foster a coordinated national response involving government, security agencies, and civil society.
Nigeria is launching a coordinated offensive against drug cartels and expanding its treatment and rehabilitation services, signaling a renewed commitment to tackling substance abuse. The federal government has declared that the nation cannot achieve sustainable development while its youth remain vulnerable to illicit drugs.
On behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I reaffirm our unwavering commitment to every initiative aimed at preventing illicit drug use, dismantling trafficking networks, expanding access to treatment and rehabilitation, and promoting the wellbeing of all Nigerians.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu's administration's dedication to preventing drug use, dismantling trafficking syndicates, and strengthening rehabilitation programs nationwide. Speaking at the National Drug Use Summit in Abuja, Akume emphasized that the growing threat of illicit drugs demands urgent national attention.
"No nation can achieve sustainable development when its young population is threatened by drug abuse and addiction," Akume stated. He further warned that societal peace and prosperity are undermined when criminal networks exploit vulnerabilities through illicit trafficking.
No nation can achieve sustainable development when its young population is threatened by drug abuse and addiction. No society can attain lasting peace and prosperity when criminal networks engaged in illicit trafficking continue to undermine its institutions and exploit its vulnerabilities.
The summit, themed "Addressing Illicit Drug Use and Trafficking: A Call to National Action," was a collaborative effort by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (retd.), highlighted the need for a comprehensive National Action Plan, stressing that the complexity of the drug challenge necessitates a "whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach."
The scale of this challenge demands a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.
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Originally published by ThisDay. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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