The Anambra State Government, in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has intensified efforts to combat drug abuse by taking its Alternative Development Programme to communities across the state.
The Anambra State Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Dr Law Mefor, on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, joined officials of the NDLEA from Abuja and the Anambra State Command on a sensitisation tour of selected communities to brief residents on the programme.
The communities visited were Nimo, Abatete and Ogidi, following earlier visits to Nanka, Oraifite and Nkwelle.
The exercise is a collaborative effort involving the Anambra State Ministry of Information and Value Reformation’s Value Reformation Project, the Ministry of Health’s Anambra State War Against Drug Abuse initiative, and the NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse campaign.
Speaking at Abatete, Dr Mefor said dangerous drugs had become a major concern in contemporary society, explaining that the NDLEA State Command initiated the programme, which the Ministries of Information and Health embraced because it aligns with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s efforts to rid the state of illicit drugs.
“We will fight it seriously. It’s not just about drug dealers and users. Those here can help get others. Let’s work to save our people. NDLEA will work with the community to help our community,” he said.
The Anambra State Commander of the NDLEA, Commander Charles Onubuogu, explained that the Alternative Development Programme provides an alternative approach to addressing drug-related challenges beyond conventional enforcement, urging communities to partner with the agency to benefit from the initiative.
“We need to work together to benefit from this. The programme is to help us because if the community is good, it’s for everyone,” he said.
He appealed to residents to spread the message, noting that Abatete had individuals and groups capable of partnering with the agency to expand the programme and accommodate more beneficiaries.
The President-General of Abatete, Chief Ezebinobi Chinaeme Ezigbo, thanked the youths and other residents for attending the meeting and urged them to share the message with other members of the community.
He said the programme underscored the importance of collective responsibility in tackling drug abuse and safeguarding the future of younger generations.
“The programme underscores the fact that everybody should be involved. We should help ourselves to ensure we handover the development here to better leaders of tomorrow,” he said, appreciating the NDLEA and the Ministry for the visit.
In his remarks, the National Coordinator of the NDLEA Alternative Development Programme, Dr Jonas Kolo, disclosed that Nigeria had been recognised by the United Nations as the first country in Africa to implement alternative development.
He said Anambra was the first state in the zone selected for implementation, following successful outcomes recorded in other states.
According to him, the programme is funded by the Federal Government of Nigeria, with technical support from the United Nations and other partners.
Dr Kolo explained that the initiative seeks to restore futures threatened by drug abuse by positively and productively engaging young men and women.
He assured residents that any support received from the communities would be reinvested in them, expressing optimism that the programme would promote greater prosperity, development, peace and security in Anambra State.
