The Office for Strategic Preparedness and Resilience (OSPRE) recently organised a round table policy dialogue and technical workshop in collaboration with At-Risk-Children’s Project (Arc-P), Police Reform and Transformation Office (PORTO) and The Milestones Foundation to brainstorm on tackling the issue of drug abuse in Nigeria.
The event, tagged “the breaking bad summit: hybrid strategies for the multidimensional challenge of substance abuse in Nigeria”, was attended by stakeholders in law enforcement, civil society organisations, policymakers and social workers.
During the event, participants highlighted the importance of mitigating drug abuse in Nigeria, as it poses a clear and present danger to the well-being, development and peace of the country. The stakeholders agreed to collaborate on sharing data and urged OSPRE to serve as a hub to facilitate such collaboration.
The lead presenter, Dr. Jude Roy Oboh, an international trade expert and author of Cocaine Hoppers, spoke on the transnational dimensions of drug trafficking in Nigeria. Other collaborators of the event gave their impressions and expectations of policy dialogue.
Dr. Akanidomo Ibanga of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) emphasised the need for more substance abuse treatment centres to cater to the huge demand.
In his presentation, executive director of the Milestones Foundation, Dr. William Ebiti commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for its impressive successes in securing convictions of drug traffickers.
In conclusion, OSPRE, in partnership with other stakeholders, is working towards the pre-emptive, mitigative and containment of threats to human security in domains covered by the centre’s mandate.
Substance abuse is a major threat that impacts sectors such as crime, violence, insecurity, and conflict. The collaboration among stakeholders is expected to yield positive results in stemming drug abuse in Nigeria.
