A nation does not die by the sword alone. Sometimes, it dies in silence—one young soul at a time, one needle at a time, one bottle of codeine at a time, one puff of Colorado in a dark corner, as the world watches. Today, Nigeria is being eaten from the inside out by a silent epidemic that threatens the future more than any economic crisis or political dysfunction ever could. Substance abuse among Nigerian youth has become a national tragedy, an invisible pandemic, and an existential threat.
THE DEPTH OF THE CRISIS
Across cities and villages, from the ghettos to the gated estates, Nigerian youths are slipping into an abyss of drug addiction. It is no longer confined to the so-called “street boys.” It is in our universities, our religious choirs, our football academies, our music studios. The line between a promising future and a perishing destiny is now a roll of pills, a syringe, or a wrap of narcotics.
Substance use in Nigeria is no longer experimental—it is escapist. Youths are not just getting high for fun; they are fleeing from pain, poverty, trauma, depression, hopelessness, and a society that offers little to believe in.
As philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” But what happens when a generation can find no “why”?
ROOT CAUSES
To fight a problem, we must first understand it. The drivers of substance abuse among Nigerian youth are complex and interconnected:
1. Socioeconomic Frustration: With over 33% youth unemployment, many young Nigerians are drowning in a sea of despair. When there are no jobs, no dreams, and no direction, the street becomes a classroom—and drugs, the curriculum.
2. Broken Family Systems: Parental neglect, absentee fathers, domestic abuse, and poor communication create emotional voids that youths try to fill with narcotics.
3. Peer Pressure and Pop Culture: Today’s music glorifies “getting high” as a symbol of success and rebellion. Social media reinforces this, showcasing substance use as fashionable and harmless.
4. Mental Health Neglect: Depression, anxiety, PTSD, and identity crises are rarely diagnosed or treated. Instead, many self-medicate with drugs, seeking temporary relief from permanent wounds.
5. Weak Policy Implementation: While NDLEA has tried, the lack of coordinated national policy on prevention, early education, and rehabilitation is glaring.
CELEBRITY INFLUENCE: THE TOXIC MESSENGERS OF A TOXIC CULTURE
One of the most dangerous drivers of substance abuse today is the toxic influence of Nigerian celebrities—our supposed “role models.” These individuals, adored and worshipped like demigods by our impressionable youth, have become peddlers of destruction through their careless lifestyles and media portrayals.
Nearly every music video features singers glamorizing drug use—blowing thick clouds of smoke like it’s a sign of success, flaunting bottles of hard liquor like trophies, and dancing in a fog of narcotics-fueled delusion. It is now trendy for music stars, producers, video directors, actors, and influencers to smoke weed openly during podcast interviews, on Instagram Live, on YouTube, and TikTok, grinning as if they’re achieving greatness.
What’s worse? These acts are consumed daily by millions of young Nigerians who idolize these celebrities—copying their fashion, their language, and tragically, their addiction.
Our celebrities are not just failing to help the NDLEA—they are actively undermining it. They are poisoning the minds of the next generation for streams, likes, and clout. It is the greatest betrayal of influence in modern Nigerian history.
And yet… the government watches in silence. Regulatory bodies are mute. Media monitoring agencies pretend not to see. Ministry of Information? Absent. Ministry of Youths and Sports? Sleeping. Where is the outrage? Where is the accountability?
The Holy Bible warns in Matthew 18:6 – “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”
The Qur’an echoes this in Surah An-Nur 24:19 – “Indeed, those who like that immorality should be spread among the believers will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter.”
THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS
Every drug-induced high comes with a national low:
Brain Drain of Talent
Increased Crime
Health Crisis
Reduced Productivity
Broken Families
And ultimately, a broken nation.
THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION: WHAT MUST BE DONE
1. Education and Early Intervention
2. Media Mobilization
3. Celebrity Responsibility and Sanctions
We must begin to name and shame celebrities who glorify drug use.
Implement media content regulation laws with serious consequences.
4. Rehabilitation, Not Just Arrests
5. Parental Reawakening
6. Government Policy and Political Will
7. Religious Institutions Must Rise
As Myles Munroe said, “When purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable.” It is time to help our youth rediscover their purpose—before the drugs redefine it permanently.
A PERSONAL CALL
On March 29, 2024—my birthday—I did not just cut a cake. I raised an alarm. I partnered with the NDLEA Ibadan Command to organize the first-ever Annual Public Lecture on Radio (Fresh FM Ibadan) focused solely on youth and substance abuse. That was my way of saying: Enough is enough.
But this fight is not mine alone.
Let history remember us as the generation that stood up to save our youth, not the one that stood by while they perished.
Let us fight now—before the time bomb explodes.
Adebayo Faleke is a Broadcast Journalist, Author, and Film Maker
