UNODC: We’re committed to fight against drug abuse in Nigeria

Oliver Stolpe, country representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), says the body is committed to the ongoing fight against drug use in Nigerian.  

Stolpe spoke on Thursday when he paid a courtesy visit to Sunday Dare, minister of youth and sports development, in Abuja.

According to him, the visit was to bolster the partnership between UNODC and the ministry in the wake of the launch of the national drug control master plan by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in December.

Stolpe said the UNODC was impressed by the minister’s idea of deploying members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in sensitising youths on drug control and prevention.

He also disclosed that Ghada Fathi Waly, UNODC’s executive director, would be visiting Nigeria in March for further deliberation.

In his remark, Dare thanked the UNODC representative for the visit, adding that the gesture shows the organisation’s commitment to reducing drug abuse in Nigeria.

“Your visit demonstrates your commitment to drug abuse reduction, it also speaks to your understanding of the damage and destruction that addiction to drugs does to our youth population,” he said.

The minister also stressed the need to provide alternatives for youth who got hooked on drugs as a result of depression or poverty.

“We have a government that has opened the pathway for our youth in entrepreneurship and digital skills training,” he added.

“The challenge is to scale up the numbers to ensure that more youth are included, but we are limited by scare resources which we must devise innovative means to overcome.”