Young people in Mile 2 Estate, Amuwo-Odofin Local Council of Lagos State, are stepping up efforts to discourage drug abuse, cultism and other social vices through community outreach programmes aimed at promoting healthier and more responsible lifestyles.

The initiative, led by Abete Community Youths, combines health interventions with education, environmental sanitation and youth engagement to encourage residents, particularly young people, to contribute positively to their community.

At its second yearly medical outreach, the group reaffirmed its commitment to tackling social problems while improving access to basic healthcare and creating opportunities for young people to become agents of change.

The group’s president, Adepoju Samuel, said the initiative was established to encourage youths who grew up in the community to give back to society and challenge negative perceptions about young people.

He said the medical outreach began in 2025, with the latest edition marking the group’s second consecutive year of providing healthcare support to residents.

According to Samuel, the initiative covers the wider Mile 2 Estate community, including the extension and Zones A, B, D, E and F, to ensure that more residents benefit from its activities.

Beyond healthcare, he said the group was using its programmes to discourage drug abuse, cultism and other social vices, while encouraging young people to channel their energy into productive activities.

The organisation’s Head of Media, Damilare Ayeni, said its activities were gradually helping to change perceptions of young people in the community by demonstrating their capacity to contribute meaningfully to society.

He explained that the media team uses digital platforms to publicise the group’s programmes, promote positive developments and encourage more residents and potential partners to support its activities.

Ayeni said the initiative was also strengthening relationships between young people and older residents, some of whom had previously held negative views about youths in the area.

He added that the group planned to introduce seminars and other educational programmes to expose young people to productive opportunities and raise awareness about the dangers of drug abuse, alcoholism and other social problems.

However, he said the success of the proposed programmes would depend partly on support from individuals, corporate organisations and other partners.

Samuel said the group had also organised an Abete Back to School programme, during which schoolbags and writing materials were distributed to pupils. Its environmental activities include clearing gutters and cleaning public spaces.

He said the projects were intended to show that young people could take responsibility for their surroundings and help build a healthier community.

The group has attracted support from sponsors, community leaders and public officeholders, including the community’s councillor and members of the National Assembly. Samuel said some corporate organisations agreed to support the outreach after seeing the previous edition and the group’s activities on social media.

Despite the progress, he identified funding as a major obstacle to expanding the initiative’s reach.

According to him, the group relies largely on crowdfunding, contributions from community members living abroad and assistance from public officeholders to finance its programmes.

He appealed to individuals, corporate organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to support the initiative, noting that additional resources would enable the youths to expand their healthcare interventions and strengthen campaigns against drug abuse and other social vices.