The African Youths Initiative on Crime Prevention (AYICRIP) has concluded preparations for the 12th National Youth Summit on Drug and Substance Abuse Prevention, scheduled to hold from October 27 to 29, 2026, at the Main Auditorium, Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja.
)The three-day summit is being organised in partnership with the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), with the endorsement of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). The event aims to strengthen youth-led initiatives, promote evidence-based prevention strategies, and mobilise stakeholders towards addressing the growing challenge of drug and substance abuse in Nigeria.
In his address ahead of the summit, the Founder and Executive Director of AYICRIP, Ambassador Chris C. Ibe, emphasised the urgent need for concerted action to protect young people from the devastating consequences of substance abuse.
Amb. Ibe said, the 2019 National Drug Use Survey conducted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the NDLEA, approximately 14.3 million Nigerians aged 15 to 64 had used psychoactive substances within the preceding year. This figure highlights the scale of the challenge and underscores the importance of strengthening preventive interventions, particularly among young people.
He also noted that the widespread misuse of substances, including cannabis, tramadol, codeine, methamphetamine, and other psychoactive drugs, has contributed to serious social and developmental challenges across Nigeria and Africa. These include mental health problems, criminality, school dropouts, domestic violence, unemployment, social instability, and declining economic productivity.
He further observed that substance abuse poses a significant threat to national development by affecting workforce participation, increasing absenteeism and workplace accidents, reducing productivity, and undermining the potential of young people to contribute meaningfully to the economy.
He stressed that while government institutions, development partners, and civil society organisations have continued to implement interventions, more coordinated efforts are needed to strengthen prevention through public education, policy advocacy, youth participation, and community ownership.
The forthcoming summit will therefore provide a national platform for young people, policymakers, health professionals, security agencies, legislators, educators, traditional rulers, faith-based organisations, development partners, and civil society groups to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and develop practical solutions to Nigeria’s drug-related challenges.
The summit’s key objectives include increasing public awareness of the dangers and socioeconomic consequences of drug and substance abuse; equipping youth leaders with practical leadership skills and evidence-based prevention strategies; promoting youth participation in policy advocacy, particularly in the implementation of the 2026–2030 National Drug Control Master Plan; strengthening collaboration in prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery; and building sustainable partnerships to promote healthier communities.
More than 500 participants are expected across the 36 states and the FCT, including student representatives from secondary and tertiary institutions, youth leaders, policymakers, legislators, medical practitioners, mental health professionals, social workers, law enforcement officers, researchers, traditional and religious leaders, community-based organisations, development partners, and media representatives.
Expected dignitaries at the summit include the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa; Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dr. Dasuki Arabi; and the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate. Other anticipated guests include Mr. Tolliver Derrick, Director of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), US Embassy; Austrian Ambassador to Nigeria, Thomas Schuller-Götzburg; and Mr. Ondrej Neuschl, Political Counsellor at the Embassy of the Czech Republic.
International and local speakers and facilitators expected to contribute their expertise include Dr. Alfred Dean Perry, President of Genesis Process International, United States; Dr. Rogers Basirye of Uganda Youth Development Link, Uganda; and Dr. Ngozi Madubuike, a retired Deputy Commandant General of Narcotics, among others.
Activities at the summit will include an evidence-based substance abuse prevention training workshop, the Outstanding Drug and Substance Abuse Prevention Award, and the One Nation, One Voice Campaign Against Drug and Substance Abuse, featuring a secondary school musical competition designed to engage young people through creativity, advocacy, and positive messaging.
Expected outcomes include improved public understanding of substance abuse prevention, stronger leadership capacity among young people, practical policy recommendations, enhanced stakeholder collaboration, and sustainable community-based action plans to support continued prevention efforts beyond the summit.
AYICRIP is calling on government institutions, corporate organisations, development partners, philanthropists, civil society organisations, and well-meaning individuals to support the initiative through partnerships, sponsorships, participation, and other forms of assistance.
Ambassador Ibe reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to empowering young people to become responsible leaders and active advocates for drug-free, safer, and healthier communities.
