To tackle the growing problem of drug abuse in Nigeria, the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) is joining forces with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Together, they aim to raise awareness and provide support to musicians, especially those under the auspices of PMAN.
The collaboration was officially announced during the week at the PMAN Music House in Lekki, Lagos, where NDLEA Chairman, Mohammed Burba Marwa (retd) and his team were present.
The PMAN president, Mr. Pretty Okafor, portrayed the initiative as a dedication to the music industry. According to him, its objective is to dispel prevailing myths surrounding drug abuse in elevating the creative output of musical artistes, consequently shaping the perspectives of their followers.
“Our pioneering music genre, led by Junior and me, took the world by storm. Our lifestyle embraces flamboyance and luxury. As artistes, our line of work naturally attracts drugs and alcohol, but I abstained,” Okafor remarked.
Marwa outlined the ongoing interventions of the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) programme initiated in 2021. He detailed the facets of drug abuse, elucidating how the programme delivers support through counselling, physiotherapy, psychotherapy, and rehabilitation centres.
According to data from the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime in Nigeria, a significant 14.4% (14.3 million) of individuals aged between 15 and 64 years grappled with drug abuse as of 2018.
Marwa emphasized the close correlation between drug use and popular music, lauding the collaboration’s timeliness as an intervention.
“One of the key joint members and stakeholders in this war must be PMAN because of the issue of music to our youths. You (PMAN) reach out to everyone through performance on radio and television. You have a long reach and influence on the youths. Most youths look up to you as role models, and role modelling has a lot to do with copying.
“The NDLEA is willing to collaborate with you by supporting you with doctors, and we have treatment facilities in our commands. When people use drugs, we help. We support such persons,” he noted.
Leveraging PMAN’s extensive network across all 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Nigeria, the collaboration is set to roll out a series of seminars and workshops, reinforced by NDLEA support. Both Pretty and Marwa expressed confidence that these combined efforts will significantly mitigate the challenge of drug abuse.