The Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum (NGSF) has stated that the success of the ongoing efforts by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in tackling substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking will contribute to the actualisation of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda.
The First Ladies affirmed that successfully addressing the drug scourge will ensure the feasibility of the President’s Renewed Hope agenda, which is essential for holistic national development and the realisation of a Nigeria that fulfils the aspirations of its citizens.
The wives of state governors made this declaration as part of their resolutions in a communiqué read by the First Lady of Ogun State, Mrs Bamidele Dapo Abiodun, on behalf of the Chairperson of the Forum and First Lady of Kwara State, Prof (Mrs) Olufolake Abdulrasaq, at the conclusion of a training workshop organised by the NDLEA in collaboration with the NGSF on Tuesday in Abuja.
The Forum expressed concern that “Nigeria is currently facing an alarming drug use situation, which has deeply permeated all spheres and strata of communities, thereby endangering the wellbeing and security of individuals, families, and communities within the country.”
It reiterated that states play a critical role as stakeholders in addressing national drug challenges by implementing localised strategies, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and aligning with internal frameworks to meet community needs and contribute to coordinated national responses.
The Forum endorsed the “outstanding efforts of the NDLEA under the leadership of Brig-Gen Mohamed Marwa in combating drug use and trafficking, achieving phenomenal national and global success in areas such as arrests and seizures, prosecutions and convictions, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.”
In its resolutions, the Forum acknowledged the need for First Ladies to use their positions to liaise with state governors in facilitating the establishment of State Drug Control Committees (SDCCs) across all thirty-six states, beyond the nine currently operational committees.
It further stated that the partnership between NDLEA and the NGSF has yielded significant dividends and notable milestones over time, adding that urgent, concerted, and pragmatic efforts are required given the complex public health and security challenges confronting the nation, largely fuelled by drug use.
The Forum called on the Federal Government and governors to declare a state of emergency on drug use and illicit trafficking, with a view to accepting national ownership of the drug problem and mobilising resources to dismantle the menace.
The Forum also resolved to ensure that “Local Government Drug Abuse Committees are established in line with the ‘bottom-to-top’ approach, a core principle of the NDCMP, to ensure that tailored drug demand reduction activities are further cascaded to wards and rural communities, areas highly vulnerable to the drug problem.”
According to the Forum, “Drug Abuse Prevention, Treatment, and Care (DPTC) programmes in states will continue to serve as a Forum project, chaired by the respective First Ladies, as additional tools for addressing community-based drug prevention, use, and treatment modalities, promoting community health, development, and overall wellbeing.”
The Forum reaffirmed “the need for active collaboration with, and the provision of vital support to, NDLEA Commands in states to achieve more effective, integrated, and enduring responses to drug challenges in diverse community settings by combining enforcement, prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts.”
Furthermore, it stressed “the need to create and promote sustainable development initiatives by encouraging health and people-centred prevention, treatment, social support, stigma reduction, and inclusive policies that tackle root causes and ensure long-term community health and resilience.”
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