Education stakeholders urge Nigerian students to shun drug abuse and other social vices as a pathway to responsible leadership and national development. The call is made during a one-day public lecture in Minna focused on building positive student leadership through values, mentorship, and unity.
Speaking at the event, former Vice Chancellor of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Professor Nasiru Maiturare, warns that drug abuse, thuggery, hate speech, and campus disunity weaken academic institutions, Mediaplusng.com reports. He explains that social vices grow when moral values decline, mentorship is absent, and leadership loses direction, noting that such trends quietly erode the foundations of higher education.
Professor Maiturare stresses that challenges facing Nigerian campuses do not appear suddenly but reflect deeper moral and leadership failures. He cautions students that involvement in drugs and violent behaviour undermines their future and limits their ability to become credible leaders in society.
The National Coordinator of the Coalition of Northern Groups, Jamilu Aliyu, says the lecture aims to inspire self-reflection and strengthen students’ sense of responsibility, Mediaplusng.com notes. He adds that tertiary institutions are not only centres for academic learning but also environments where future national leaders are shaped through character and discipline.
Also addressing participants, the Niger State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Shehu Gwadabawa, represented by Hamisu Mohammed, reveals alarming statistics on student drug use. He says global drug use prevalence among students stands at 5.6 percent, while Nigeria records a higher rate of 14.5 percent, with the North Central region at 10.4 percent, based on data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Mohammed discloses that about half of university students, both on and off campus, are involved in drug abuse, describing the situation as a major concern for the NDLEA. He explains that the agency has intensified raids around campuses and is partnering with students’ unions and stakeholders to promote preventive measures and awareness campaigns aimed at curbing drug abuse.
Participants at the lecture agree that addressing drug abuse, intolerance, and campus violence requires collective effort, sustained mentorship, and a return to positive values to secure a better future for Nigerian students and the nation.
