The Kano State Special Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is considering the establishment of ad-hoc centres in the three senatorial zones for substance-abuse prevention and rehabilitation.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by Asmau Salisu Gwadabe, Head of the Information and Protocol Unit of the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital (FNPH), Dawanau after a meeting between the hospital and the Special Task Force.
The proposed centres would cover Kano North, Kano Central and Kano South, according to the Chairman of the Task Force, Barr. Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado, who said the initiative was part of a broader strategy to address substance abuse through prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and community engagement.
Rimingado made the disclosure when the Medical Director of FNPH Dawanau, Prof. Auwalu Sani Salihu, led the hospital’s management team on a courtesy visit to the Task Force chairman.
He said enforcement measures alone were insufficient to tackle substance abuse, stressing that affected persons also needed access to treatment, rehabilitation and public education.
“We need to go beyond enforcement. Prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, community engagement and public education are all critical in addressing substance abuse,” Magaji said.
Salihu, on his part, described substance abuse as a public health and security challenge that required a coordinated response from medical institutions, law enforcement agencies, communities and other stakeholders.
“As a specialist hospital, FNPH Dawanau is committed to providing assessment, detoxification, treatment, counselling, and rehabilitation for persons with substance use disorders,” Salihu said.
The Medical Director said closer collaboration between the hospital and the Task Force would also improve the referral of people struggling with substance-use disorders to appropriate medical and rehabilitation services.
According to him, the partnership would strengthen joint prevention and public sensitisation campaigns across Kano State.
Following the meeting, the two institutions agreed to establish a Joint Technical Committee to coordinate areas of cooperation, including referral pathways, prevention programmes, community sensitisation and other joint initiatives.
They also resolved to intensify awareness campaigns in schools, markets, motor parks and communities to educate residents about the dangers of substance abuse and encourage early intervention and treatment.
The hospital and the Task Force urged parents, traditional and religious leaders, community leaders, schools, market associations and the wider public to support efforts to curb substance abuse and promote a healthier and safer Kano State.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
