The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.) has urged Nigerian youths to embrace skills acquisition and empowerment programmes as a means of preventing drug abuse and other social vices.
He said access to practical skills and empowerment opportunities would help protect young people from substance abuse, unemployment and crime, noting that such initiatives align with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Tinubu administration on youth empowerment, job creation and social inclusion.
A statement released on Thursday by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said Marwa made the call on Thursday in Abuja while speaking as the Special Guest of Honour at the launch of a youth empowerment and skills acquisition programme.
According to him, training and empowering 10,000 young Nigerians through practical skills development directly supports government efforts aimed at reducing unemployment, poverty, drug abuse and other crimes.
Marwa described the initiative as capacity building and character development, adding that prevention remains the most effective approach to addressing drug abuse and its consequences on society.
He stressed that the government alone cannot tackle the challenge of drug abuse, calling on non-governmental organisations, civil society groups, faith-based organisations, community leaders and the private sector to support youth-focused empowerment programmes.
Marwa said, “Training and empowering 10,000 young Nigerians through practical skills is not just an NGO activity; it is direct support to government efforts, complementing national programmes aimed at reducing unemployment, poverty, drug abuse, and general crimes. Initiatives such as this one deserve national applause.
“What this organisation is doing today is not charity; it is capacity building, character development, future protection, and prevention from drug abuse and its attendant consequences on our youth and the larger society. The fight against drug abuse and associated crimes is everybody’s business.”
The NDLEA chairman also encouraged stakeholders to partner with the agency in designing and implementing programmes that provide youths with skills, dignity and a sense of purpose.
Addressing the participants, Marwa said young people should see themselves as solutions to national challenges and take advantage of opportunities that promote self-development, while avoiding drugs.
“To the young people here today, I want to say this clearly: you are not a problem to be managed; you are a solution to be empowered. Your talents, creativity, and resilience are needed to build a stronger, safer, and more prosperous Nigeria. Embrace opportunities such as this, stay away from drugs, and invest in yourselves and the country”, he stated
Nigeria continues to grapple with rising youth unemployment and drug abuse, which authorities say fuel crime and social instability.
In response, the NDLEA and other stakeholders have increasingly promoted skills acquisition and empowerment programmes as preventive measures to steer young people away from substance abuse and related social vices.
