Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, wife of the Lagos State Governor, recently urged graduates of the International Centre for Credentialing and Education of Addiction Professionals (ICCE) to apply their knowledge in combating drug addiction among Nigerian youth.
Speaking at the Certificate Presentation Ceremony and launch of the “Lagos Against Drug Abuse Campaign” (LADAC), an initiative by the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital Yaba (FNPHY), Ambode, represented by Mrs. Kemi Durosinmi-Etti, emphasized the importance of sharing their expertise to support drug abuse victims.
The ICCE was established through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between FNPHY and the U.S. Department of State-funded Colombo Plan Drugs Advisory Programme (DAP). Ambode noted that LADAC aims to address drug abuse at the grassroots level, focusing on prevention rather than just treating emergency cases.
FNPHY Medical Director, Dr. Oluyemi Ogun, explained that since signing the MoU in 2017, 95 healthcare professionals have undergone training, and 31 Nigerian Prisons staff were sponsored for addiction treatment training. Additionally, 70 professionals passed the U.S. credentialing exams to become International Certified Addiction Professionals (ICAP I & II).
Dr. Oluyemi Ogun highlighted that addressing drug abuse requires community mobilization, environmental strategies, and school-based prevention education, stressing that these approaches involve government collaboration and enforcement of laws, such as banning the sale of alcohol and drugs to minors and promoting drug-free schools. The program takes a multisectoral and interdisciplinary approach based on evidence-based prevention strategies.
