Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, has called for collaborative action to curb the menace of drug abuse among the youth in Nigeria.
He made the call against the backdrop of the increasing use of substance and drug abuse and crime, most especially among the youth.
He said this unwholesome phenomenon was worrisome and undermined sustainable development and stability of the country.
Represented by his Special Assistant on Inter-Governmental Affairs, Rajab Abdulrahman, he noted that serious problems of drugs and crimes were shared responsibilities that required practical, efficient, and comprehensive approach at all levels. Agba’s positions were echoed at a one-day seminar on “Eradication of Drug Abuse and Illicit Substances among the Youths in Nigeria” organised by BABA-RABI Community Development Initiative (CDI) in Abuja.
He also stressed the importance of soft measures through information, prevention campaigns as well as treatment and rehabilitation of drug users.
Agba disclosed that the Federal Government, through the Ministry, had been in partnership with the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in implementing an intervention programme, tagged: “Response To Drugs and Related Organised Crime in Nigeria” since 2013.
According to him, the partnership had, in the course of implementing the project, achieved the launch of the National Policy for Controlled Medicines, National guidelines for quantification and estimation of narcotics, psychotropic substances and precursors for medical and scientific purposes and minimum standards for drug treatment, support to 11 model drug treatment services, among others.
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