The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), retired Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, has cautioned that the rising wave of drug abuse among Nigerian youths poses a grave danger to the nation’s future.Marwa, who gave the warning on Tuesday, stressed that substance abuse continues to undermine the health, productivity, and potential of young people, who represent the largest segment of the country’s population.He noted that if urgent steps are not taken to address the problem, Nigeria risks losing a critical part of its human capital needed for national development.
“The greatest asset of any nation is its youth population, but drug abuse remains one of the biggest threats to their well-being and by extension, to the future of our country,” he said.The NDLEA chairman reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to intensifying its efforts in tackling the drug menace through enforcement, advocacy, rehabilitation, and collaboration with stakeholders.Marwa also appealed to parents, schools, religious leaders, and communities to join hands with the agency in sensitising young people about the dangers of illicit drug use.According to him, the fight against drug abuse requires a collective responsibility to safeguard the country’s future generations.