By Dayo Johnson, Akure

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has promised to collaborate with government agencies, security bodies and educational institutions to educate students across the region on the dangers of drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

It’s Managing Director, Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, gave the promise during a sensitization campaign against substance abuse in Igbokoda, in Ilaje council area of Ondo state.

Speaking through the Acting Director Ondo State office, Dr Victor Asonye, the managing director, expressed deep concern over the rising prevalence of drug and substance abuse among youths, particularly secondary school students.

Ogbuku said that the campaign against the social vice was meant to sustain the peace in the region by educating the youth, especially secondary school students, on the dangers of drug abuse.

He said the initiative was designed to curb the rising tide of drug abuse, particularly among young people, which has been fueling crime, cultism, and insecurity across Niger Delta communities, said the

According to him, the campaign against substance abuse aligns with its broader mandate of sustainable development and peacebuilding, noting that infrastructure alone cannot deliver progress without addressing the social issues threatening human capital

He said that “Our campaign is about saving lives and protecting the future of our region.

” Substance abuse does not only destroy individual potential; it fuels violence, erodes family values, and threatens the peace we all desire in the Niger Delta. The NDDC cannot ignore this challenge.

“The NDDC is not only building roads and bridges; we are building peace and people. This campaign is part of our social investment to secure a healthier, safer, and more peaceful Niger Delta,”

“Peace and stability remain the foundation for development in the Niger Delta, and this is why the NDDC has decided to embark on a campaign against substance abuse. Drug abuse is one of the hidden drivers of insecurity in our communities. It fuels cultism, armed robbery, militancy, and domestic violence.

Ogbuku noted that drug abuse has become a growing challenge among students and youths, leading to poor academic performance, school dropouts, cultism, violence, and insecurity.

“Many crimes in our communities are linked to substance abuse, and unless we tackle this problem early, it will continue to destroy lives and destabilise the peace we seek in the Niger Delta. As long as young people are trapped in the cycle of addiction, peace in the region will continue to be fragile.

“We believe that sustainable peace cannot be achieved by building infrastructure alone. True peace is built on healthy, productive people who can contribute positively to society.

“Our campaign against substance abuse is therefore a peace initiative — designed to reduce crime, strengthen family values, and give our youths a chance to live meaningful lives.

“By sensitising schools, communities, and market places, and by working closely with traditional rulers, religious leaders, and youth groups, the NDDC is investing in peace. Every life saved from drugs is a step towards a safer and more prosperous Niger Delta.

“This campaign is, therefore, about securing the future. We are building peace not just through dialogue or intervention, but by addressing one of the root causes of instability in our region”

He disclosed that the campaign was supported and launched in partnership with key stakeholders, including government agencies, security organisations, and educational institutions, “seeks to educate students about the dangers of drug abuse, empower them to make informed choices, and create student ambassadors who will promote awareness within their communities”

Also, speaking during the sensitisation campaign the Commandant of the National Drug Law enforcement Agency, Ondo State Command, Mr Nanzing David Sallah, lauded the commission for being at the forefront of waging war against drug abuse in the Niger Delta states.

Represented by the Deputy Commandant of Narcotics, Drug Demand Reduction Unit (DDRU), Mrs Yetunde Jeyifous, said that abuse of drug was capable of destroying the lives of the students, urging them to shun drug abuse drug as they have brighter future ahead of them.

In a presentation, the Deputy Commandant, Jeyifous, said that about 40 per cent of Nigerian youths between 18 and 35 years, are involved in abuse of drugs nationally and stressed the need to sensitize and educate the school students on the dangers is important .

Jeyifous said drug abuse remains a major driver of crime and insecurity across the country, warning that unless it is tackled, peace and development in the Niger Delta will remain elusive.

According to her “Drug abuse is the oxygen that fuels criminality and violence. From cultism to armed robbery, kidnapping to militancy, you will find drugs at the root of it.

“If we are serious about peace in the Niger Delta, we must first confront substance abuse. That is why this NDDC initiative is not just welcome, it is urgent.

” It is a war we need to collectively fight, NDLEA cannot do it alone. Most of the vices we have in our society today is traceable to the use of substance .

“Our position is clear, drug supply reduction through seizures and arrests must go hand in hand with drug demand reduction through sensitisation and rehabilitation. That is the holistic approach, and this campaign by NDDC is a bold step in the right direction.”

She added that the NDLEA is ready to partner with the Commission and other stakeholders to extend the sensitisation drive to schools, communities, and marketplaces across the Niger Delta.

“We cannot afford to lose our youths to drugs. Every young person that escapes the trap of drug abuse is one more builder of peace, one more contributor to the future of this region.”

The students who spoke after the programme expressed support for the campaign against substance abuse jointly championed by the NDDC and the NDLEA, describing it as timely and life-saving.

One of them, John Ebiwonjumi, said: “this campaign is very important because many young people around us are falling into drugs without realising the damage.

Ebiwonjumi said that ” Some of them drop out of school, some join violent groups. If we want peace in this area, we young people must say no to drugs.”

He called on the NDDC and NDLEA to sustain the campaign, extend it to rural areas, and provide rehabilitation opportunities for those already struggling with addiction.

According to him “If we don’t help those already on drugs, the problem will not end, we need counselling centres in schools and communities, not just lectures.”