By Odunayo Sanya, Executive Director, MTN Foundation

Leadership, in its truest essence, is not about the titles we hold or the executive seats we occupy; it is about the responsibility we assume for the future of our communities. According to John Maxwell, a leader is one who knows the way, shows the way and goes the way. As we commemorate World Drug Day (26 June), we are collectively confronted with a sobering reality that demands that we intentionally create the conditions for Nigerian youths to thrive.

Odunayo Sanya

This year’s global theme reminds us that the fight against substance abuse demands a collective response because its consequences extend far beyond the individual, affecting public health, economic productivity, community wellbeing, and national development.

To understand the weight of what is at stake, we must anchor our empathy in empirical truth. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Drug Use in Nigeria Survey (2018), still one of Nigeria’s most comprehensive national assessments of substance abuse, revealed a deeply distressing reality. Nearly 14.3 million Nigerians aged 15 to 64 had used psychoactive substances. While the survey remains an important benchmark, the passage of time since its publication underscores the urgent need for more current data to guide prevention and intervention efforts. Nonetheless, the survey revealed that one in every four drug users in Nigeria was a woman, while the highest concentration of users was found among young people. This is not just a health crisis; it is an economic crisis and a systemic threat to our nation’s future leadership.

When we look at these numbers, we must refuse to see them merely as data points on a spreadsheet. Every statistic represents a vibrant mind diminished, a family fractured and a potential corporate leader or innovator sidelined. In my journey across the corporate and development sectors, I have learned that systemic challenges cannot be solved by sporadic, emotional reactions. They require structured, intelligent, sustainable, and data-informed ecosystems of change. True change requires us to transition from passive observers to active architects of sustainable interventions.

It was this profound sense of responsibility and strategic foresight that birthed the MTN Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP) in 2019. We recognised early on that the traditional approach of criminalising substance abuse without addressing the root causes – curiosity, peer pressure, lack of information and socio-economic despair – was a flawed model. ASAP was conceptualised as a multi-sectoral behaviour-change initiative designed to contribute to the reduction of first-time substance abusers in Nigeria.

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This year’s World Drug Day theme “The World Drug Problem: Persisting Issues, New Challenges, Innovative Responses” is both a reminder of the complexity of the menace confronting our nation and an urgent call to action. It is clear that only innovative responses can curb the ever-evolving tactics of illicit drug networks. Beyond traditional substances, the world is witnessing a rapid increase in the production, availability and use of synthetic drugs. The commoditisation of prescription medicines has contributed to substance abuse. The inordinate use of technology as an enabler of cybernarcotics has changed the dynamics of the game.

Let me bring this closer home with some numbers. From January 2025 to May 2026, the NDLEA seized 5,305,484.88 kilograms of illicit drugs worth N1.5 trillion through 29,262 arrests. Recently, on May 16, the NDLEA busted a meth manufacturing ring in Ogun State. The scourge is no longer a distant tale: it resides with us. So, we must rise together as stakeholders in this war against substance abuse.

Over the years, the impact recorded through the ASAP initiative is a testament to the power of public-private sector partnerships. Through strategic partnerships with the NDLEA, the UNODC, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, and various non-governmental organisations, the MTN Foundation has institutionalised the anti-substance abuse advocacy. We have taken the message directly to the frontlines – our schools, motor parks, markets, and digital spaces. By building a coalition of voices, we are demystifying the stigma surrounding addiction, turning what was once whispered in shame into open and constructive community dialogues.

Our journey this year has been marked by a powerful surge of collective action. From stakeholder conferences in Enugu, Kaduna, Kwara and Abuja, to the resonant advocacy walks in tertiary institutions across Gombe, Delta, Abuja and Lagos, the response has been nothing short of extraordinary. The scale of this support – uniting associations, students, and parents alike – is a testament to the urgency and shared commitment driving this movement.

Our interventions have yielded measurable outcomes. To date, the ASAP initiative has directly impacted over 50,433 students and 1,556 teachers across public secondary schools in 32 states and the FCT, through structured anti-substance abuse capacity building initiatives, digital advocacy, peer-to-peer training, and community town halls. By empowering young people to become ambassadors themselves, we have leveraged the power of peer influence positively. We have seen firsthand that when you give a young person the right tools, accurate information, and a sense of purpose, they will choose a path of productivity over self-destruction.

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True leadership, however, refuses to rest on yesterday’s laurels; it constantly asks where the next frontier of impact lies and what it requires. It is this restless pursuit of evidence-based and sustainable solutions that culminated in a historic milestone just two months ago, when the MTN Foundation, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the Office of the Vice President formalised a partnership to undertake Nigeria’s first nationally representative substance abuse survey among secondary school students. At a time when the most widely referenced national substance abuse data is almost a decade old and does not adequately capture the realities of in-school adolescents, this initiative seeks to provide the evidence needed to shape more targeted interventions and policy responses. The collaboration, which drew high praise from Vice President Kashim Shettima (GCON), is a powerful validation of our commitment to Nigeria’s youth and our belief that lasting solutions are built through multi-sectoral partnerships.

As a certified change practitioner, I know that for any behavioural shift to be sustainable, the intervention must be systemic, continuous, and dynamic. This year, our World Drug Day activities have been intentionally scaled up to meet the evolving landscape of substance abuse, particularly the rise of cheaper, highly lethal synthetic mixtures. Our focus this year focuses heavily on the digital ecosystem – leveraging technology to deploy accessible mental health resources, psychosocial helplines, and interactive awareness modules – because that is where our youth live, connect, and learn.

In tandem with our digital drive, this year’s ASAP calendar features high-level policy roundtables, quiz competitions, and grassroot activations across educational institutions. We are deliberately engaging policymakers to ensure that advocacy is backed by robust institutional frameworks. It is not enough to tell our children to say no to drugs; we must build a society that offers them a resounding “yes” to viable economic opportunities, mental health support, and inclusive community spaces.

The universe, as I often like to say, rewards extraordinary effort. The crisis before us is vast, but our collective capacity to innovate and heal is even greater. We cannot afford to look away or assume that this is someone else’s problem. The teenager struggling with addiction in a remote community is tied to the collective economic stability of our communities. Their failure is a leak in our national boat; their recovery is our shared victory.

As we mark World Drug Day, my call to action is to the government, corporate Nigeria, civil society organisations, and every well-meaning citizen: let us move from intent to action by investing heavily in preventive advocacy and psychosocial support structures. Let us choose to know the way, show the way, and walk the way together toward a drug-free, prosperous Nigeria.
Remember, it is everyone’s fight!

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