U.S. Foundation partners NGO on drug abuse prevention, treatment

A United States-based foundation, Annmom Foundation, has partnered Re-Orientation Advocates of Nigeria, a non-governmental Organisation on advocacy against drug abuse prevention and treatment to create awareness in schools and religious centres nationwide.

The Founder of the foundation, Mrs. Ann Ehigiator, made this known at a media roundtable held in Abuja on Friday to mark the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Executive Director of the NGO, Mr. Charles Folayan,

Ehigiator, who is also an Emergency Medical Records Consultant, said drug abuse had become a menace in Nigeria and must be addressed using internationally proven strategies.

She explained that drug use lies at the foundation of a long list of social deviances, truancy, restiveness, crime and criminality.

Ehigiator explained that its debilitating effects echo across multiple fronts, stretching from the family through the community, to the educational sector, and other social frontiers.

This, she said, often leaves a dark cloud of catastrophic health challenges for not only the victims and their families, but the immediate communities and the nation at large.

She commended the National Assembly for declaring war against drug abuse in their June 2, resolution

Ehigiator also commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for its effort at stemming the tide of increasing drug abuse by curtailing measures and rolling out programmes and activities geared towards curbing the menace.

“However, the situation requires a multi-sectorial robust, expansive, and all-inclusive strategic effort by every well-meaning individual and institution,” she added.

Folayan, the RAN Executive Director, on his part, said the social intervention and advocacy initiative focused on growing the largest network of advocates on drug abuse prevention, treatment, and care in the country.

He said it would also provide expedited rehabilitation for victims of drug abuse.

Folayan said the Drug Prevention, Treatment, and Care Advocates programme was a five-pronged multidimensional and multi-sectorial intervention.

This, he said was to disabuse the mind of young people from drug abuse through re-orientation, whilst working on the causative factors, challenges, and solutions.

(NAN)