….Says over 100 million Nigerians reached through awareness programmes

By Chinedu Adonu

ENUGU — The MTN Foundation has disclosed that it has committed about ₦33 billion to various development projects, programmes and initiatives across Nigeria as part of efforts to promote youth development and combat substance abuse.

The Foundation said the interventions have directly impacted more than 33 million Nigerians nationwide.

Speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement on the MTN Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP) in Enugu, Executive Director of the Foundation, Odunayo Sanya, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to addressing drug abuse among young Nigerians.

Sanya explained that the Foundation, established in 2004 and fully funded by MTN Nigeria, focuses on health, capacity building and economic empowerment, with particular attention to young people who make up a significant proportion of the country’s population.

She said the Anti-Substance Abuse Programme was launched in 2019 to reduce the incidence of first-time drug use among youths through awareness campaigns and school-based interventions.

“We have reached over 50,000 students across the country and trained about 1,556 teachers as part of our efforts to create anti-drug ambassadors in schools and communities,” she said.

According to her, the programme, implemented in partnership with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, has reached more than 100 million Nigerians through advocacy and awareness campaigns.

She described substance abuse as a major threat to families and society, stressing the need for collective efforts to prevent young people from falling into addiction.

“For us at the MTN Foundation, saving even one young person from substance abuse is a worthwhile achievement. The consequences go beyond the individual and affect families, communities and the nation at large,” she stated.

Sanya revealed that the Foundation plans to reach more than 30,000 students in 2026 through stakeholder engagements, school interventions, teacher training and community awareness campaigns.

She also highlighted several projects executed by the Foundation in Enugu State, including digital skills training, teacher development programmes, women empowerment initiatives, healthcare facility upgrades and the renovation of science laboratories in public schools.

The MTN Foundation executive urged young Nigerians to take advantage of opportunities provided through the MTN Skills Academy and other empowerment initiatives to prepare for the future workforce.

Speaking at the event, Peter Mbah said his administration places youth development, education, healthcare and human capital development at the centre of its transformational agenda.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Chidiebere Onyia, the governor described substance abuse as a major public health, security and development challenge requiring collective action.

He noted that the state government’s investments in 260 Smart Green Schools and the establishment of modern Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres are aimed at equipping young people with the skills and opportunities needed to thrive while reducing their vulnerability to harmful influences.

“The complexity of substance abuse demands a whole-of-society approach. Parents, teachers, religious institutions, traditional rulers, the private sector, development partners, security agencies and the media all have critical roles to play,” he said.

Mbah commended the MTN Foundation, NDLEA and UNODC for their efforts in raising awareness and preventing drug abuse among youths, describing ASAP as a critical intervention.

He also called for the de-stigmatisation of individuals battling substance abuse disorders, urging society to adopt a public health approach focused on treatment, counselling and reintegration.

“As a society, we must increasingly view addiction from the perspective of public health. Many affected individuals require support, treatment, counselling and reintegration,” he added.

The governor further urged stakeholders to leverage technology, data, community engagement and strategic partnerships in tackling the evolving drug menace, warning that substance abuse fuels criminality and undermines national development.

In his remarks, Deputy Commander of NDLEA in Enugu State, Owunna Ibezimako, commended the MTN Foundation for partnering with the agency to combat substance abuse through the ASAP initiative.

He described the programme as timely, noting that drug abuse and crime are closely linked, with illicit substances often serving as catalysts for criminal activities.

Ibezimako disclosed that a recent survey conducted by NDLEA in collaboration with UNODC revealed that more than 360,000 youths in Enugu State are actively involved in drug use, representing about 13.4 per cent of the state’s youth population.

He noted that NDLEA, under the leadership of its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mohammed Buba Marwa, has intensified efforts to curb drug abuse through initiatives such as the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign and the Save Our Families programme.

According to him, a national policy mandating drug tests for students seeking admission into tertiary institutions and newly employed government workers has been implemented.

He further disclosed that the NDLEA Enugu State Command is collaborating with the state Ministry of Education to introduce drug awareness and prevention studies into school curricula as part of efforts to tackle substance abuse among young people.