By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

The Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation (SABMF) has sounded the alarm over the rising incidence of drug and substance abuse among Nigerian youth, describing it as a national emergency requiring urgent and coordinated action.

The Foundation made its position known following its March edition of the Monthly Virtual Mentorship Programme, where experts highlighted the growing scale and socio-economic impact of substance abuse in the country.

According to SABMF, data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime indicate that Nigeria has a drug use prevalence rate of 14.4 per cent, representing about 14.3 million people, with youths accounting for a significant proportion.

Speaking during the programme, Dr. Muhammad Kasim, a Resident Doctor in the Department of Community Medicine at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, warned that the increasing availability of both conventional and synthetic substances poses serious risks to public health, national security, and economic productivity.

The Foundation noted that the consequences of substance abuse include rising cases of addiction and mental health disorders, increased pressure on healthcare systems, declining workforce productivity, heightened crime rates, and weakening family and educational structures.

SABMF further observed that socio-economic challenges in Northern Nigeria—such as poverty, unemployment, low school enrollment, and high numbers of out-of-school children—have heightened the vulnerability of young people to drug abuse, especially with the emergence of locally compounded substances.

To address the challenge, the Foundation called for a comprehensive, multi-sectoral response, including the integration of drug education into school curricula and intensified community awareness campaigns.

It also urged the expansion of treatment and rehabilitation services, as well as the integration of mental health care into primary healthcare systems nationwide. The Foundation stressed the need to strengthen the capacity of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), improve inter-agency collaboration, tighten border controls, and ensure stricter regulation of pharmaceutical distribution channels.

In addition, SABMF advocated increased investment in youth empowerment through skills acquisition, job creation, and entrepreneurship programs, alongside targeted interventions to tackle poverty and improve access to quality education.

The Foundation emphasized the importance of data-driven policymaking, urging authorities to rely on research, monitoring, and evaluation frameworks to guide national strategies and resource allocation.

Director-General of SABMF, Abubakar Gambo Umar, said addressing drug abuse among youth is critical to safeguarding Nigeria’s future.

“Immediate, coordinated, and sustained action is imperative to avert a deeper national crisis,” he said.

The Foundation called on government at all levels, civil society organizations, educational institutions, families, religious and traditional leaders, as well as development partners, to collaborate in tackling the growing menace.