MTN Foundation To Train 86,400 Students, 1,440 Teachers On Drug Abuse

The MTN Foundation has unveiled a massive campaign to educate 86,400 public secondary school students and 1,440 teachers across 12 states on the dangers of substance abuse as part of its 2025 Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP).

The initiative, which was flagged off in Kaduna on Monday during a stakeholders’ workshop on teachers’ training, is expected to scale up awareness about the growing menace of illicit drug use among teenagers and young adults.

Speaking at the event, MTN Foundation representative Abubakar Zubairu said the programme would build on the foundation’s successes since 2019, when it first launched ASAP to curb substance abuse through nationwide campaigns and partnerships.

“Since inception, we have reached millions of Nigerians through advocacy, sensitisation, and targeted interventions. The goal has always been to build a generation that is well-informed about the dangers of drug abuse, and this year, we are taking it a notch higher,” he said.

The MTN Foundation disclosed that its anti-drug campaign is being executed in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and other stakeholders.

According to Zubairu, the foundation has in recent years organised advocacy walks in tertiary institutions in Abuja, Enugu, Lagos, and Kano, drawing over 1,400 participants, including students, civil society actors, health experts, and government officials, to champion the fight against drug abuse.

Zubairu stressed that the 2025 campaign was designed to go beyond awareness creation by equipping teachers with the skills to serve as change agents in their schools and communities.

“The training in Kaduna and Kwara will pave the way for a digital framework that can scale this impact. Our expectation is that these teachers will return to their schools and sustain the campaign through peer education, monitoring, and advocacy,” he said.

One of the high points of the campaign, according to the foundation, is the launch of a 24/7 psychosocial support helpline (08010203040) in partnership with the NDLEA. The project connects Nigerians to professional psychologists for free counselling services in multiple local languages.

Zubairu said, “We encourage students to participate in our quiz competition; facilitate a stakeholders’ workshop and a 3-day training for 60 secondary school teachers in Kaduna and Kwara; sensitise our communities through outreaches in collaboration with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

“We aim to educate 86,400 public secondary school students and 1,440 teachers, respectively, across 12 states on the impact of substance abuse; encourage them to participate in our quiz competition; facilitate a stakeholders’ workshop and a 3-day training for 60 secondary school teachers in Kaduna and Kwara; sensitise our communities through outreaches in collaboration with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

“Our stakeholder convenings in Lagos and Abuja further strengthened our multi-sectoral partnerships in the fight against substance abuse.

“Another achievement is the partnership secured with the NDLEA on the 24/7 psycho-social support helpline – 08010203040 – project aimed at connecting Nigerians to professional psychologists for free counselling support services in various Nigerian languages.

“The teachers’ training in Kaduna and Kwara states will certainly pave the way for a digital framework to be developed because the need to scale impact on this subject matter is pertinent. We trust that all concerned stakeholders will support this noble cause. Let’s keep up this fight against illicit drug use as we work towards a drug-free nation.”

The MTN Foundation emphasised that the real success of the campaign would be measured not just by the number of students or teachers trained but by the long-term impact on attitudes and behaviour.

MTN Foundation To Train 86,400 Students, 1,440 Teachers On Drug Abuse is first published on The Whistler Newspaper