…Urges Increased Mental Health Financing, Priority For Women And Children*
*…Discloses NDLEA Rehabilitates 53,843 Users In 5 Years*
The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has warned that drug abuse and mental illness fuel each other, calling for increased investment in mental healthcare with special priority for women and children.
Marwa gave the warning at the 4th Vanguard Mental Health Summit held in Lagos, with the theme “Advancing Youth Mental Health in Nigeria through Access, Action and Advocacy.”
Marwa, who was the Special Guest of Honour at the summit, was represented by the Assistant Comptroller-General and Director of Seaport Operations, Archie-Abia Ibinabo.
The NDLEA boss said the Agency encounters the link daily in its operations, stressing that behind almost every drug abuse case is an untreated story of pain.
“At the NDLEA, we meet this reality every day. Behind almost every case of drug abuse is a story of pain: anxiety nobody noticed, depression nobody named, trauma nobody treated,” Marwa stated.
He warned that untreated depression, anxiety, trauma and other psychological challenges often push young people into substance abuse, adding that tackling drug abuse without addressing its root causes will yield limited results.
“If we only arrest symptoms, we will keep missing the cause,” he said, noting that drug use and mental illness reinforce each other.
Marwa disclosed that in the last five years, the NDLEA has counselled, treated and rehabilitated *53,843 persons* struggling with drug use across its 31 rehabilitation centres nationwide, while conducting 17,213 outreach programmes* under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign in schools, campuses, markets, worship centres and communities.
He called for increased funding for mental health services, recruitment of more psychiatrists, psychologists, counsellors and community health workers, and the integration of mental health care into primary healthcare to improve access.
The NDLEA Chairman also urged that women and children, who are most vulnerable, be given priority attention in mental health financing and treatment infrastructure.
He raised alarm that social media and digital platforms have exposed youths to cyberbullying, unhealthy comparisons, excessive screen use and content that glamorizes drug use, while drug traffickers now exploit online platforms to reach potential users.
According to him, NDLEA’s approach is not just enforcement. While the Agency will sustain its crackdown on drug cartels and traffickers, its strategy also prioritizes demand reduction through prevention, counselling, treatment, rehabilitation and alternative livelihood programmes.
He said the Agency is currently piloting community-based livelihood initiatives in three communities to help families previously dependent on illicit drug cultivation earn legitimate incomes.
He called on parents, schools, religious leaders, the media, government agencies and civil society to collaborate to end stigma and encourage early help-seeking.
