U.S. endorses Silec Initiative’s campaign against drug abuse

The United States government has pledged to support the Silec Initiatives campaign in its fight against drug and opioid abuse in Nigeria.

Founder/President of Silec Initiatives, Sunny Irakpo, has also been selected to participate in the U.S. International Leadership Exchange Programme of the U.S Department of States.

The programme, which is held yearly, has seen over 5,000 participants trained in leadership to help solve human challenges. The programme also helps develop a pool of young leaders in developing countries and share ideas among their counterparts in the U.S.

Irakpo was nominated for the exclusive leadership programme through the office of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who expressed concern over the spate of substance abuse among Nigerian youths.

The Senate President, who through his Special Assistant on International Relations, Advocacy and New Media, Bamikole Omishore, while receiving Irakpo in his office at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja, lauded the campaign against drug abuse in Nigeria, particularly among the youths.

“The office of the senate president is proud of you and your initiative’s effort towards drug abuse elimination in the country. The role you are playing is very important to nation building because the present drug among youths is worrisome. The senate president promises to give you and your initiative the needed support in this fight,” Omishore said.

The Political Officer/First Secretary of the Embassy of the United States of America, Dr. Philip Franz Seitz, commended Irakpo’s drive to help save Nigerian youths from the spate of drug abuse in the country.

He said the U.S. government, under the leadership of President Donald Trump, expresses worry over this epidemic in Nigeria, while pledging that the government would work with young Nigerians to help in arresting this widely spread social ills.

Irakpo lauded the opportunity, while he urged the president of Nigeria to speed up all necessary actions and implementations; policies and legal framework to help change the narrative of drug misuse and abuse in the country.

He lamented that the future of Nigerian youths is in danger as many are dying from ignorance as a result of lack of proper orientation and absent-mindedness exercised on the part of the government.