Drug abuse destroying Nigerian youths, warns pro-chancellor

The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of Achievers’ University, Owo, Ondo State, Prof Bode Ayorinde, has warned Nigerian youths against drug abuse, describing it as a growing menace that threatens their future, families and society.

Ayorinde, who delivered the fifth convocation lecture of Trinity University, Lagos, said drug abuse had become widespread across societies and age groups, with university campuses also vulnerable to the problem.

Speaking on the theme, “Navigating the Troubled World: Understanding the World, Confronting its Troubles, and Equipping the Next Generation for Survival and Significance,” he urged graduating students to shun drugs and make choices that would protect their well-being and future.

He said, “The world we are living in is struck by the drug menace. It touches every society in the world. It is not a new problem, but it has never been on this scale.”

He said the growing number of rehabilitation centres reflected the seriousness of the crisis, adding that drug abuse could devastate not only users but also their families and communities.

To illustrate the consequences, Ayorinde recounted the experience of a colleague whose son became addicted to drugs while studying at a private university in Lagos.

According to him, the young man had undergone rehabilitation several times, spending six months at a centre on each occasion, but repeatedly returned to drug use shortly after being discharged.

Ayorinde said the treatment cost about N500,000 monthly, adding that he had volunteered to pay for one month of the young man’s rehabilitation after witnessing the distress the situation caused his family.

He urged students to resist the pressure to experiment with drugs, stressing that addiction could have devastating consequences for individuals and their loved ones.

“It is better you don’t go into drugs. If you go into drugs, it is a minus to your family, a minus to Trinity University and a minus to society,” he said.

He cited Nigeria’s first national drug use survey, conducted in 2018 with support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which found that about 14.4 per cent of Nigerians aged 15 to 64 had used psychoactive substances, excluding alcohol and tobacco, in the preceding year.

He stated that the South-West recorded the country’s highest rate, at 22.4 per cent, according to the survey.

Ayorinde urged the university to consider inviting the head of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to deliver a public lecture to sensitise students to the dangers of substance abuse.

Beyond drug abuse, the don identified unemployment, declining purchasing power, corruption, environmental instability, technological disruption, misinformation, strained relationships and the erosion of values as major challenges confronting young people.

He said unemployment and underemployment had frustrated the ambitions of many educated Nigerians, as the country struggled to create enough productive opportunities for its large and youthful population.

Ayorinde recalled when he graduated and had received several employment offers, including opportunities from banks and other organisations.

He said the situation contrasted sharply with the present, when many graduates struggled to secure jobs despite years of investment in their education.

“A society that educates its young people but fails to open pathways for their productive engagement risks wasting its most valuable assets,” he said.

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He urged the government and other stakeholders to create an environment that enabled graduates to contribute meaningfully to national development, warning that entrepreneurship training alone could not solve unemployment without viable opportunities and access to finance.

On the economy, Ayorinde decried that inflation and high borrowing costs had weakened purchasing power and discouraged investment in productive businesses.

He advised graduates to develop financial literacy, manage their resources carefully and avoid borrowing merely to sustain an appearance of prosperity.

“Do not borrow to keep up an image of prosperity,” he advised, urging young people to understand savings, investment, debt and financial risks before committing their money.

Ayorinde also condemned corruption, saying its widespread nature did not make it acceptable.

He urged graduates to uphold integrity in their personal and professional lives, regardless of prevailing practices.

“Corruption does not become acceptable because it is common. That an improper act is widespread does not make it right,” he said.

On technological change, he urged graduates to keep abreast of developments, including artificial intelligence, and use digital tools responsibly. He warned that those unwilling to learn new technologies risked falling behind their peers.

He also cautioned against sharing unverified information, urging graduates to check sources and supporting evidence before circulating claims, particularly on social media.

Addressing the graduates’ prospects in the labour market, Ayorinde said a degree remained valuable but was no longer sufficient on its own.

He said employers increasingly sought communication, problem-solving, teamwork and digital skills, alongside academic knowledge.

He challenged graduates to look beyond searching for jobs and consider how they could solve problems, create value, establish viable enterprises and strengthen institutions.

“The question for a graduate is not just, ‘Where can I find a job?’ It is also, ‘What problem can I solve? What value can I create? What enterprise can I build?’” he said.

Ayorinde further urged the graduates to anchor their lives in enduring values, including honesty, fairness, diligence, compassion and responsibility, warning that material success without character could undermine both individuals and society.

Earlier, the chairman of the event and member of Trinity University’s governing council, Austin Omame, said the world was facing uncertainty arising from political upheavals, economic instability, technological disruption, environmental challenges and moral dilemmas.

He, however, said the challenges also presented opportunities to rethink and rebuild society, urging stakeholders to equip young people with relevant skills and wisdom.

“We need to challenge these realities with courage, to equip our youth not only with skills but with wisdom, and to ensure that education remains the bedrock of survival and significance in a rapidly changing world,” Omame said.

The Vice-Chancellor, Trinity University, Prof Clement Kolawole, urged the graduands to fully put to use the messages from the convocation lecture.