International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking: Busaosowo Foundation calls for political will in drug abuse prevention

June 26 of every year is commemorated as the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

Reports from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) indicate a sharp rise in drug abuse among young people in Nigeria, with marijuana, opioids, tramadol, and codeine-based syrups being widely misused. Nigeria is ranked among the top African countries with high drug abuse prevalence, particularly among young people aged 15–35.

As an organization, Busaosowo Foundation has remained at the forefront of drug abuse prevention, especially among children and young people in Nigeria. In a statement released on the 26th of June, 2025, the executive director of Busaosowo Foundation, Busaosowo Bisong Esq, stated that the biggest obstacle to drug abuse prevention in Nigeria is not the availability of drugs, nor is it those using drugs, but the absolute lack of political will from governments at all levels to invest in drug abuse prevention.

No state in Nigeria can claim that it doesn’t have a drug problem amongst its young people. Yet, drug abuse prevention is treated like an appendage.

We need governments at all levels to create funding for drug abuse prevention through the ministries of education, health, and youths. Drug abuse is a real issue in Nigeria, and the silence is deafening.

Busaosowo Bisong Esq,stated that creating awareness about drug abuse once a year doesn’t translate to drug abuse prevention. We need effective drug abuse prevention policies that take into consideration the peculiarities of each state. We have to integrate drug abuse prevention education into our conventional curriculum.

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He stated that teaching children the definition of drug abuse and its dangers is not sufficient. Young people deserve to know how to deal with the risk factors that make them susceptible to drug abuse. Our schools must become safe spaces, not initiation grounds into drug abuse.

The National Drug Control Master Plan (2021- 2025) was designed to help deal with Nigeria’s drug crisis, but little has been accomplished as envisaged by the Plan. The majority of rehabilitation and recovery facilities in Nigeria are either run by private individuals, businesses, religious organisations, and nonprofits. The burden is huge, and the government must rise to the responsibility. We need to move from talk to action.

The time to act is NOW!