The chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, has proposed that National Youth Service Corps members be trained as counsellors against drug abuse at the grassroots levels.

During a courtesy visit of the NYSC director-general, Mohammed Fadah, on Wednesday in Abuja, Mr Marwa said the agency lacked adequate rehabilitation, primary health centres, and grassroots counselling centres.

“This is where we do not have enough manpower to cover, and this is where the young men and women of NYSC come in.

“We can train them in their numbers to serve as counsellors at the grassroots level because the majority of drug users only need counselling,” he said.

Mr Marwa also proposed that youth corps members should undergo drug tests as they report for their mandatory one-year national youth service at the various orientation camps.

“There is the need for drug tests for our youth corps members as they report at the orientation camps,” Mr Marwa said. “Once they know there will be drug tests at the camps, they will abstain from it.”

A statement by NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, quoted the chairman as saying that the development would aid the agency’s fight against the use of drugs.

“Nigeria has a drug issue. We are determined to ensure this is changed, but we cannot do it alone; we need organisations like NYSC to reduce and control demand for drugs,” he said.

Mr Marwa painted a picture of Nigeria’s drug problem with facts and figures from the 2018 national drug survey and called for collective efforts to change the narrative.

Meanwhile, the NYSC director-general said that the visit was to appreciate NDLEA for past support of the scheme.

(NAN)