The federal government has called on relevant stakeholders to make concerted efforts towards ending drug abuse among youth in the country to prepare them for employability, entrepreneurship as well as future leaders.

Ayodele Olawande, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Youth Development, made the call during a working visit to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Abuja.

Mr Olawande said that the ministry was planning to establish an institution known as the Nigerian Youth Academy (NIYA).

He said in the institutions, youths would be taken through some training to engage them in meaningful ventures to avoid the temptation of drug abuse and crime.

The minister said that lack of engagement, unemployment and skill gap have led to an increase in the consumption and abuse of drugs among the youth.

“The youths are more concerned with following trends. It is now time for the youth to stop following unproductive trends and start thinking and working,” he said.

Mr Olawande said that the ministry planned to introduce a door-to-door campaign, which he would spearhead to engage the youths in all the 774 LGAs.

“We will use the corps members as a force to engage the society at large, especially secondary school students, to curb drug abuse, corruption, and cybercrime,” he said.

According to him, it is time that society stopped neglecting the youth in the informal sector, as they are flexible and open to activities that can cause disruption and commotion in society.

The minister called on the UN to collaborate with the government to establish the Nigerian Youth Academy to ensure the youths were gainfully engaged.

(NAN)