By Esther Onyegbula

Founder and Executive Director of the Global Initiative on Substance Abuse (GISA), Dr. Martin Agwogie, has urged government at all levels to intensify efforts to curb substance abuse in the country.

Dr. Agwogie made this call at the just concluded seven-week intensive training program organized by GISA on Strengthening Families, held in Ijere-Elelede Pakuro community in Ogun State over the weekend.

He said, “The government needs to do more to address substance abuse in the country. They should identify and support projects like this and partner with NGOs that are making a difference. Supporting them with funding would go a long way.

“We were able to execute this project because we received funding from the UNODC. The question is, what is our government doing? The local, state, and federal governments—what are they doing to support initiatives like this? It would make a significant impact if governments could recognize and support such initiatives.”

“However, because the issue of substance abuse should not be left solely to the government, GISA organized this initiative,” Dr. Agwogie explained.

Speaking further about the project, Dr. Agwogie said, “This project was initiated because GISA promotes evidence-based substance use prevention initiatives, including treatment and policy contributions, through capacity building, practice, research, and publications. This program, titled Strengthening Families, is one of the evidence-based interventions for substance use prevention.”

Dr. Agwogie emphasized that preventing drug use or abuse begins at the foundation of human existence: the family. “Science has shown that the family is often overlooked in substance abuse prevention. Addressing the risk factors for substance abuse can be done through the family. That’s why we are focusing on strengthening family bonds, good monitoring practices, and better parenting skills to reduce the risks of drug and substance abuse.”

“Science has shown that families with strong communication skills, where parents have time for their children and understand their emotional needs, help bridge communication gaps that might otherwise be filled by negative peer influences. In some cases, children simply seek attention that may be missing at home. When they find it among peers, they may be drawn toward substances and other social vices.”

Regarding the seven-week program’s structure, Dr. Agwogie explained, “The criteria for selecting the forty participants in this program were parents with children aged 12 to 14. We had 20 parents and 20 children, each participating in separate parent and child sessions, as well as combined sessions, over seven weeks. This setup allowed for interaction and bonding. For sustainability, trainers from this community were involved, and this program is being implemented in eight communities in Ogun State.”

“We selected two trainers from each community, trained them at our facility in Lagos for three days, and then they returned to their communities to train parents and adolescents,” he added.

Encouraging the participants, Dr. Agwogie said, “You are now ambassadors for drug and substance use prevention. All the training and activities you have completed over the past seven weeks aim to strengthen families and promote family bonding so that children, in particular, can fulfill their destiny. They can only do so if they are not distracted by what we might refer to as ‘the forces of darkness’ drug abuse.”

The goal, he said, was to ensure children are well-guided, supported, and brought up in a way that allows them to fulfill their potential and perhaps become global figures. “I cannot thank everyone enough for being part of this.”

One parent, Farida Aminu, shared her experience: “I learned so much from this program, especially about bonding with my family and my community. It brought me and my family closer and taught me how to better handle teenagers.”

Another parent, Kondwe Asisadewane, said, “Over these past seven weeks, I’ve learned about intentional parenting and bonding with my children, especially my teenagers. I also learned that creating an atmosphere of love within the family is essential. Parents should care for their children, and children should reciprocate this love. We should not be too harsh with them, as it may prevent them from sharing their problems with us.”

He added, “We should show our children that we love and care for them, and that we’re ready to support them whenever they face challenges.”

Another parent, identified as Alfa, reflected on his experience, saying, “This seven-week program has improved my relationship with my children. I’ve learned to listen to them, bond with them, and apply appropriate discipline when necessary.”

One teenage participant said, “I learned the SMART principle—how to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals. I also learned about handling peer pressure, managing stress, and ways to show appreciation to our parents.”

The Community Development Association Chairman, Ijere-Elelede Pakuro community Olu Oguntoyinbo appreciated the organizers for choosing Pakuro community for the project.

“We have many villages here, and participants were selected from different communities. Some participants traveled long distances to be part of this program. We’re grateful for this initiative because it benefits both families and the entire community”, he said

Urging participants to be ambassadors of the project, Oguntoyinbo reminded beneficiaries of the seven-week program, to educate others on what they learned, with a view to spreading the positive changes and reducing the chaos in community.

On his part, Pastor of RCCG King’s Parish, Land of Mercy Estate, Emeka Onye, appreciated everyone who started to stay till its completion.

He expressed the gratitude of the General Overseer of the RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye for GISA’s initiative which he said benefited the community.

He informed that natio the parish on its part , ” has monthly CSR projects.

It’s the organizers’ desire that the positive impact of this program will spread from families to communities, and eventually throughout the nation.”