International Drug Day: NANS Senate urges students to reject substances

…seeks stronger laws, mental health funding 

The Senate of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on Nigerian students to reject drug abuse in all forms, warning that addiction is silently decimating the very backbone of the nation’s future as the country marks the UN International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

In a statement signed by the President of the Senate, Ibeabuchi Moses Onyia, on Friday, NANS said the crisis is being fought in school hostels, on campuses, in homes, and on the streets of our communities.

The NANS Senate said it was deeply alarmed by rising cases of prescription drug misuse, codeine abuse, tramadol, cannabis, methamphetamines, and other illicit substances within tertiary institutions.

Citing reports by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the student body noted that Nigeria ranks among countries with significant substance abuse challenges, with young people aged 15 to 35 disproportionately affected.

Addressing students across universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, and affiliated institutions, Onyia said, “Your life is worth more than any substance… Every dream you carry… none of it can survive the devastation of addiction.” 

He listed the costs of substance abuse to include loss of academic performance, mental and physical health, relationships, integrity, and the constitutional right to a productive future.

The NANS Senate outlined multidimensional risks, including irreversible damage to the brain, liver, and kidneys; psychiatric disorders such as depression and psychosis; academic decline and dropout; vulnerability to criminal networks; and social disintegration. 

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While commending the NDLEA for intercepting drug trafficking networks, NANS said enforcement alone is insufficient; the student body, however, demanded the urgent review of the NDLEA Act and National Drug Policy by the National Assembly to close loopholes, mandatory drug prevention programmes in all tertiary institutions, with NUC, NBTE, and NCCE embedding anti-drug benchmarks in accreditation; full implementation of the Nigeria Mental Health Act, 2021, to make counseling and psychiatric support accessible to students; prosecution of dealers; and enforce the funding of treatment centers and counseling for drug abusers.

NANS also, in the statement, declared readiness to partner with the NDLEA on campus sensitization; the Federal Ministries of Education and Health on prevention curricula; UNODC on evidence-based interventions; civil society groups; and media organisations to amplify anti-drug messaging. 

He encouraged students to report drug dealing on campuses and choose life, clarity, and purpose over the momentary illusion that substances provide.

“The economic pressures, academic stress, peer influence, broken families, idle environments, and inadequate mental health infrastructure create the perfect storm that pushes students toward substance use as a coping mechanism

“We urge every student to make a conscious, deliberate, and courageous decision today: to say no to drug abuse in all its forms and seek help if you are already struggling, there is no shame in healing, only strength 

“A drug-addled generation cannot build the Nigeria of our dreams. The human capital required to drive industry, innovation, governance, and enterprise cannot emerge from addiction

“We are open to Memoranda of Understanding, joint programme development, and structured engagements with any institution or agency that shares our commitment to building a drug-free generation

“A drug-free student is a productive student. A productive student builds a stronger Nigeria. I also implore students to report drug dealing on campuses and choose life, clarity, and purpose over the momentary illusion that substances provide,” he concluded.