The Chairman, Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Buba Marwa (Rtd), has urged parents, guardians and schools to create homes and environments where young people can discuss their struggles with drugs and mental health without fear of being beaten, shamed or rejected.
Marwa appealed in Abuja, while delivering a Keynote address at a two-day national conference to mark the 2026 World Mental Health Day with the theme ‘Rescue the Youth, Restore the Future: A Fight Against Drug Menace’, organized by the Civil Society on Mental Health and Drug Demand Reduction (CiSMHeDDR)
He said Community and religious leaders should also address the issue openly and help protect young people from harmful influences, while urging the youth not to experiment with drugs.
“Youths should be cautious of anyone who tells them that trying a substance once will have no consequences. They should seek healthy friendships, positive activities and help when they are under pressure,’’ he advised.
He said the Drug-integrity testing introduced by the agency is a means of early detection, not as a tool intended simply to deny people admission to schools or access to employment.
The anti-drug boss said the fight against drug abuse requires cooperation among government institutions, communities, families, schools, health professionals, civil-society organizations and international partners.
“Rescuing our youth means rescuing an entire generation. Let us work together to protect our young people and secure our future,” he said.
Marwa was represented at the event by the Commander of Narcotics/Director, Prevention and Sensitization, Abubakar Alhaji Garba.
President of CiSMHeDDR, Professor Okafor Prosper, in a remark, said the group exists to advocate for sound Mental Health policies, to champion drug demand reduction, and drive detoxification, rehabilitation and treatment, combat stigma and create safe spaces where broken lives can be restored.
He called for all hands to be on deck to fight the challenges of drugs and their associated ills.
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“We must choose radical collaboration over fragmented efforts; we must look at our folks, youth and children not as lost causes, but as treasures worth saving, protecting and empowering,” he said.
Speaking on a sub-theme: “From Broken Bridges To United Front: Rebuilding Our Youth through Radical Collaboration”, Dr. Prince Abah, the FOUNDER OF Pristine Health Global, noted that the challenges confronting young people are interconnected.
He pointed to unemployment, poverty, economic exclusion, cybercrime, substance abuse, mental-health difficulties, trauma, loneliness, educational and skills mismatches, gender-based violence, exploitation, political manipulation and insecurity.
The speaker outlined key areas for rebuilding young people, such as helping young people develop self-worth, ethical convictions, cultural confidence and a sense of belonging.
“A person should not be defined permanently by a period of struggle, substance use or a past offence. Negative labels can make recovery more difficult. People need a genuine opportunity to change and become productive members of society,” he said.
Speaking from the school perspective, Mrs. Musa Adama Tanko of the Federal Government College, Bwari, FCT, said discussions at the conference have also helped schools to recognize that some behavioural changes may be connected to mental-health difficulties, bullying, trauma, loneliness, peer pressure or problems at home
She said schools identify and solve issues of drug and mental health through close contact with students, guidance and counselling, escalation to the school clinics and to school management before reaching parents.
Earlier, the planning committee Chairman, Dr. Evelyn Agozie, said Nigeria has a large youth population, which represents a significant source of energy, innovation and economic potential.
“We must move beyond condemnation and statistics towards understanding, professional intervention, treatment, rehabilitation and sustainable recovery,” she said.
The conference called for a coordinated response to substance abuse and mental-health challenges among young people.
Its central message was that prevention, early identification, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration must be supported by families, schools, communities, government institutions, health professionals, law-enforcement agencies and civil-society organisations.
