The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has inaugurated its ‘catch them young consumer safety club’ for secondary school students in Oyo State, as part of its awareness campaign on the menace of drug abuse among Nigerian youths.
Delivering her keynote address at the event held at Yejide Girls Grammar School, Ibadan, the Director General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said youths and teenagers are the most affected by the menace of drug abuse, and all hands must be on deck to discourage them from the nefarious act.
The NAFDAC boss, who was represented by the South West Zonal Director of the agency, Mrs Roseline Ajayi, disclosed that six schools across the senatorial districts of the state, were selected for the programme.
Adeyeye said the NAFDAC Consumer Safety Club (NCSC) is one of the agency’s special public enlightenment strategies targeting youths in its efforts to eradicate fake and substandard products, and enthrone a quality culture, while employing the use of cutting-edge technology to track counterfeiters.
She said: “The agency has taken the campaign against drug abuse to the grassroots by re-establishing NCSC in secondary schools, where we hope to catch them young and prevent lives of addiction and destruction.
“I enjoin you all to be agents of change by propagating the right virtues that can lead to behavioural change. We deem it expedient to immunise our society against counterfeits by re- orientating our youths through the activities of NCSC,” Adeyeye added.
In her presentation on the role of NCSC in safeguarding the health of citizens, Assistant Director, South West Zone, Mrs Olanike Ogunronbi, said the programme was not only aimed at reducing the prevalence of drug abuse among youths, but to help people in making informed decisions.
Ogunronbi said the objective of the club is to re-orientate the youths and redirect their energy from anti-social vices.
The Head Girl of the school, Bolarinwa Okunade, lauded the initiative, and pledged to sensitise her peers on the dangers of illicit drugs.
The Principal, Mrs Titilayo Olalekan, said the initiative would provide the students with a unique opportunity to learn about food and drug safety, while also developing essential life skills.
