14.4% of Nigerian youth aged 10-29 are involved in drug abuse – Professor LASUED

The prof. Morufu Daodu of the Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) revealed that about 14.4% of Nigerians aged between 15 and 67 use psychoactive substances, with a high prevalence among young people aged between 10 and 29.

Speaking at LASUED’s third inaugural conference titled “The Stormy Sea of ​​Adolescence: Stakeholder Contract in the Progress of Normalcy”, Daodu pointed out that one in three secondary school students in some areas consume alcohol, while 17.3 percent of high school students report using substances once in their lifetime. He highlighted the wider challenges teenagers face, including cultism, exam malpractice, social media addiction and cybercrime.

The professor, who is also the academic vice-chancellor of LASUED, highlighted that cybercrime, which ranges from online fraud to identity theft, is often fueled by peer pressure, curiosity and the lure of quick wealth, putting the moral character and future of young people at risk. He advocated for digital literacy, moral guidance, law enforcement, and safe recreational spaces to steer teens toward productive behaviors.

Daodu called for collective action involving parents, educators, religious leaders, politicians and civil society to address adolescents’ challenges. It also urged governments and NGOs to implement poverty reduction programs, enforce laws against child abuse and trafficking, and ensure access to inclusive and affordable education.