Stakeholders called on Thursday for urgent action for the boy’s health and well-being nationwide.

They made the call at an event in Abuja to mark the 2024 International Day of the Boy Child, with the theme ‘Boy’s Health and Well-being’.

Hillary Akpua, the founder of the Great Achievers Initiative For Youth And Community Development (GAIYD), said more attention should be paid to girls.

Mr Akpua maintained that the boys are often neglected, forgetting they also need protection and mentoring, just like the girls.

He emphasised that it was sad that only two non-governmental organisations focused on boys, GAIYD and another one in Lagos.

Mainasara Umar, an international analyst from the National Unity and Democracy, stated that the future quality of any society and family was projected upon the type of boys the family and society incubated today.

Chidi Ndukwu, deputy commander of narcotics at the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), said that according to the National Drug Use Survey conducted in Nigeria in 2018, one in seven persons aged 15–64 had used a drug (other than tobacco and alcohol) in the past year.

Mr Ndukwu said the past year’s prevalence of any drug use was estimated at 14.4 per cent, corresponding to 14.3 million people aged 15–64 who had used a psychoactive substance in the past year for non-medical purposes.

(NAN)