Marwa charges young Nigerians to promote healthy lifestyles, civic responsibility and national development.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has urged Nigerian youths to reject drug abuse and use their influence to promote healthy lifestyles, responsible citizenship and national development.
The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), gave the charge on Monday in Abuja at the opening of the 2026 Rotary Youth Leadership Academy.
Marwa, represented by the agency’s Director of Prevention and Sensitisation, Dr Dankolo Mohammed, said young people had a crucial role to play in shaping Nigeria’s future.
He stressed that leadership was not defined by occupying positions but by taking responsibility, serving others and using one’s influence positively.
“Leadership is about responsibility. Leadership is about influence. Leadership is about service,” Marwa said.
The NDLEA chairman warned that drug abuse affects not only individuals but also families, schools and communities, while undermining productivity, public health and national security.
He called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, schools, families, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations and youth-focused groups to combat substance abuse.
Marwa also urged the participants to become ambassadors of the anti-drug campaign among their peers, noting that young people could significantly influence one another.
“Be the friend who encourages, not the friend who destroys. Be the voice that informs, not the voice that misleads,” he said.
Also speaking, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, urged participants to acquire practical skills and become active contributors to national development.
Olawande said academic qualifications alone were no longer sufficient in a rapidly changing world, urging youths to develop technological, communication and problem-solving skills.
“A university degree is important, but please, the world is changing. A degree alone cannot strengthen you enough,” he said.
The District Governor of Rotary International District 9127, Sikiru Owonikoko, encouraged participants to maximise the opportunities provided by the academy, particularly in mentorship, networking and leadership development.
The Chairman of the RYLA 2026 Planning Committee, Dr Kayode Fasua, said the academy would expose participants to leadership, digital innovation, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, financial intelligence, civic responsibility and vocational skills.
Fasua said the programme was designed to equip young Nigerians with practical knowledge and a stronger sense of responsibility, urging them to become ethical leaders, innovative problem-solvers and compassionate citizens.