MTN Foundation’s Executive Director, Odunayo Sanya, has urged all Nigerians to participate in the Anti-Substance Abuse Programme’s (ASAP) campaign against drug misuse. The Foundation has organised advocacy walks in three Nigerian cities; Port Harcourt, Lagos, and Abuja, to spread the word about substance misuse in the country and protect the welfare of young people.


With the goal of lowering the percentage of young Nigerians, aged 15 to 25, who abuse drugs for the first time, MTN ASAP has developed into a multi-stakeholder, sector-specific behaviour change programme.

The plan, which includes a stakeholder conference, advocacy walks, and a variety of other events, was further explained by Odunayo Sanya.



She said, “The core message of our Anti-Substance Abuse campaign #ASAP at the MTN Foundation is that ‘it is everyone’s fight, it is my fight, your fight and indeed our fight because their high is our low.’ The singular objective of the #ASAP campaign is to reduce the rate of first-time abuse amongst youths aged 10-25 years.

“According to the UNODC, substance abuse will increase by 40% in Africa by 2030. Nigeria is expected to represent a chunk of the 40% due to its population and large youth demography. And so, at the MTN Nigeria Foundation, we refuse to be onlookers, our sleeves are rolled up and we are lending our voice to this campaign.

“This year, in partnership with the #NDLEA, UNODC and other Civil Society Organizations, our advocacy walk took place in Rivers, Lagos and Abuja. Every first step signified our resolve to fight substance abuse and we dedicated every last step as a prayer of strength for those in the contraption of substance abuse. The stakeholder conference in Lagos was quite enlightening.

“Our target is to reach 87,000 students and 1,440 teachers with the #ASAP message in 2024. Our clarion call is that you join us in your corner by being a light to the young ones,” Sanya added.

Following the national news brand, the goal of MTN ASAP is clearly aligned with this year’s World Drug Day theme, “The evidence is clear: invest in prevention.” It emphasises how crucial it is to have an evidence-based, scientific strategy that puts prevention and treatment first. The international drug problem is a complex issue that affects millions of people’s lives. The adoption of an evidence-based, scientific strategy that places a priority on prevention and treatment is essential to tackling this epidemic.

SOURCE:https://brandspurng.com/2024/06/29/director-mtn-foundation-urges-nigerians-participation-in-the-anti-substance-abuse-programme/