By Ayodele Oni
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), has identified Nigeria as one of the countries with highest rates of drug addiction globally.
Country Representative of the UNODC, Nigeria Office, Cheikh Toure, who announced the rating, stressed the need for preventive strategies, including education at primary and tertiary levels, community-based interventions, and stronger inter-agency collaboration to address drug abuse, human trafficking, and financial crimes.
Toure, spoke in Akure, Ondo state on Thursday, when he led his team on courtesy call on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
The UN official commended the efforts of the Ondo State Government in the areas of security, economic development, and youth empowerment.
He explained that UNODC’s mission is not only to engage at the national level, but also to work directly with states and local governments to ensure grassroots impact.
He assured that the UNODC would explore more partnerships with Ondo State to strengthen youth resilience, enhance prosecution capacity, and reduce the prevalence of drug abuse and other crimes.
“Ondo State has shown commendable commitment, and we are here to see how best to consolidate our work at the grassroots level, especially in empowering young people and strengthening institutions to curb crime.”
Governor Aiyedatiwa, had earlier explained that his administration is deeply committed to the fight against drug trafficking, cybercrime, cultism, kidnapping, and other related offences, stressing that security and the rule of law remain the cornerstone of his government’s development agenda.
The governor emphasized that Ondo State places premium importance on order, security and the rule of law, which form the first pillar of his administration’s seven-point agenda.
He noted that the state has consistently supported security agencies through intelligence gathering, prosecution, logistics, and technical backing to strengthen the fight against crime.
“In recent times, we distributed about 75 hybrid vehicles to our security agents to aid their operations, especially in flashpoint areas across the state.
“We have also given massive support to the NDLEA to tackle illicit drug cultivation and trafficking, particularly cannabis, which grows freely in some parts of the state.”
Governor Aiyedatiwa further highlighted Ondo State’s youth-focused initiatives, such as the One Youth, One Skill programme, which trains and empowers young people with vocational skills and startup grants, aimed at discouraging them from crime and fostering peace and productivity.
“Our ultimate goal is to build a resilient society where our youths are positively engaged and our communities live in peace and dignity.
“That is why we are ready to partner with the United Nations and other stakeholders to tackle crimes collectively,” he added.
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