The MTN Foundation has launched a four-day teachers’ capacity-building workshop in Kaduna State as part of its Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP), which aims to tackle the rising drug use among Nigerian youth.
The initiative, run in partnership with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the Kaduna State Government, seeks to equip teachers with tools to guide students away from drugs and towards healthier choices.
Citing Global Initiative on Substance Abuse (GISA) data, the foundation warned that Nigeria faces a growing crisis, with projections indicating up to 20 million people could be affected by drug use by 2030.
Speaking at the training, Abubakar Zubairu, Service Centre Manager of MTN Kaduna, representing the Executive Director of the MTN Foundation, stressed that the organisation remains committed to reducing first-time drug use among young Nigerians. He highlighted previous advocacy walks across Abuja, Enugu, Lagos, and Kano, which engaged more than 1,400 stakeholders in the campaign against substance abuse.
Joseph Ike, Director General of the Kaduna State Bureau for Substance Abuse, Prevention and Treatment (KABUSA), said the session also focused on the rollout of the Unplugged Policy Prevention Programme, which will be introduced at the basic education level in the state.
He emphasised the need to prioritise prevention over rehabilitation, warning that focusing only on treatment means “chasing symptoms rather than preventing the disease.”
