Worried by the fact that substance abuse is a major problem facing the North, the Coalition of 52 Northern Groups, CNG, has announced its partnership with relevant stakeholders to unveil a community-based initiative aimed at rehabilitating youths struggling from drug abuse and addiction in the region.
According to CNG’s Director of Strategic Communication, Samaila Musa, the programme tagged ‘Initiative for Community Action Against Drug Abuse’ would also provide empowerment schemes for drug addicts, thereby driving economic recovery of the Northern region and the country.
Samaila, who doubles as coordinator of the programme, told newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday that the Initiative for Community Action Against Drug Abuse (ICAADA) would involve both traditional and religious institutions.
He said, “We are concerned by the fact that drug and substance abuse have become one of the major problems facing Northern Nigeria in particular, with the rapid proliferation among the youths and even housewives. Consequently, the CNG has initiated an action that would complement government efforts towards checking this menace.
“Recall that in 2017 a committee of experts was inaugurated by Professor Ango Abdullahi at Arewa house Kaduna with the responsibility of tracing the remote causes of drug abuse, assessing the extent of penetration, identifying manufacturer and supply roots and suggesting alternative ways of tackling the menace.
“The committee in its report recommended among others a community based action by which communities will own the fight and prosecute it.
“The CNG adopted this recommendation and came up with the ICAADA which aims to involve traditional, religious and community leaders as well as youths and women groups and all segments of the society in a training and retraining process on the techniques of detection, apprehension, vigilance on prosecution, checkmating supply roots that will lead to final eradication of the problem.”
Musa, however, explained that due to unforeseen circumstances, the formal launch of ICAADA has been postponed from the 15th to the 28th March, 2022.
