The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has partnered with the Edo State Government to roll out a large-scale, preventive anti-drug campaign targeting young people in schools, markets, religious centres, and rural communities.
The initiative, described as a “Youth‑First Preventive Drive,” aims to address the rising wave of drug abuse in the state through education, mentorship, counseling access, and coordinated community outreach.
At the flag‑off ceremony in Benin City, NDDC officials stressed that heavy-handed crackdowns alone cannot solve drug abuse without a sustained preventive framework. Hundreds of students and volunteers joined a sensitization walk through major streets, while recovering addicts shared testimonies about the long-term social and psychological damage of early drug exposure.
Edo government representatives reaffirmed their commitment to combating the root causes of drug dependence including unemployment, family instability, and community peer pressure.
The partnership will also involve periodic reviews, training of school counselors, and broader awareness campaigns across the state’s 18 LGAs.
Officials say the program is designed to complement existing anti-narcotics enforcement efforts, ensuring that young people receive guidance before they fall into addiction.
