By HeapNews
ABUJA — The Nigeria Governors’ Spouses’ Forum (NGSF) has thrown its weight behind the ongoing fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking, saying its success is crucial to the actualization of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
In a communiqué delivered at the end of a high-level workshop organized in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Abuja, the Forum emphasized that Nigeria’s drug crisis poses a significant threat to national security, public health, and sustainable development.
“Successfully tackling the drug scourge will remarkably ensure that the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President is achievable for holistic national development required to birth a Nigeria of our collective dreams,” said Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun, First Lady of Ogun State, who read the resolutions on behalf of the Chairperson of the Forum and First Lady of Kwara State, Prof. (Mrs.) Olufolake Abdulrazaq.
The Forum expressed deep concern over what it described as an “alarming drug use situation” that is “pervading every sphere and strata of communities and consequently endangering the wellbeing and security of individuals, families and communities.”
Commending the NDLEA’s leadership under Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, the Forum hailed its “phenomenal national and global success records” in arrests, seizures, and rehabilitation efforts.
The spouses of state governors called on both the Federal Government and State Governors to declare a state of emergency on drug abuse and trafficking. They also pledged to use their offices to push for the establishment of State Drug Control Committees (SDCCs) in all 36 states—up from the current nine.
“Our partnership with NDLEA has yielded significant dividends. But urgent, pragmatic efforts are now required, considering the complex public health and security challenges fuelled largely by drug use,” the communiqué noted.
They further resolved to champion the creation of Local Government Drug Abuse Committees in line with the bottom-up strategy of the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) to ensure “tailored Drug Demand Reduction activities are cascaded to wards and rural communities.”
The First Ladies reaffirmed their commitment to chairing Drug Abuse Prevention, Treatment, and Care (DPTC) programmes in their respective states as part of community-focused interventions.
They also emphasized the need to expand partnerships beyond government by engaging the private sector, civil society, and other stakeholders to support local projects that enhance prevention, treatment, and recovery outcomes.
“There is need to create and promote sustainable development initiatives by encouraging health and people-centered prevention, treatment, social support, stigma reduction, and inclusive policies that tackle root causes,” the Forum concluded.
The workshop marks another step in the growing collaboration between NDLEA and the governors’ spouses to combat Nigeria’s drug crisis at both national and grassroots levels.