MTN Nigeria and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have joined forces to combat the rising issue of drug abuse among youths in Enugu State. This collaboration was launched with the first-ever “Advocacy Walk Against Drug Abuse” held on Saturday at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Campus Three. The walk, which is part of MTN’s Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP), was designed to raise awareness about the dangers of drug use and encourage young people to make healthier choices.
The campaign is a component of the larger War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative being led by both MTN and the NDLEA. Speaking at the event, the Enugu State Commander of the NDLEA, Abel Wadahi, represented by Deputy Commander John Oga, revealed that over 400,000 individuals, predominantly youths, are involved in drug abuse across the state. He identified peer pressure, curiosity, and experimentation as the key drivers of drug use, while listing cannabis, marijuana, and the dangerously addictive methamphetamine, popularly known as “mkpurummiri,” as the most commonly abused substances. Wadahi described mkpurummiri as particularly harmful, citing its links to mental health disorders and the vulnerability it causes among users.
He noted that the NDLEA has intensified its outreach efforts, conducting sensitisation campaigns in over 135 locations, including schools, churches, and workplaces, directly educating more than 69,000 people. In addition, the agency is promoting sports and endurance treks as healthy alternatives to drug use in order to engage young people positively and keep them off the streets.
Representing MTN Nigeria, Pamela Emodi, the Manager of Youth Development, underlined the importance of collaboration and education in curbing substance abuse. She explained that MTN’s ASAP programme is focused on youths aged 10 to 25 and follows a multi-sectoral strategy. Since its inception in 2019, the programme has reached over 91 million Nigerians. In 2024 alone, it engaged 27,000 students and 450 teachers in 55 secondary schools across 12 states, offering psychosocial support through the NDLEA’s 24/7 counselling desk. MTN plans to scale up these efforts in 2025 by training 86,000 more students and 1,500 teachers in 12 additional states. Further advocacy walks are scheduled to take place in Lagos, Abuja, and Kano, alongside stakeholder conferences in Abuja and Lagos.
David Folaranmi, Enugu State Coordinator of the International Society for Substance Use Professionals, echoed the urgency of addressing substance abuse, describing it as an escalating public health crisis in Nigeria.
