An NGO, House of Joy, based in the United States has unveiled a pilot project aimed at addressing drug abuse and mental health challenges among youths and women in Kano State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the organisation is a mental healthcare humanitarian and advocacy organisation passionate about empowering individuals and creating meaningful change for all.
The organisation’s Chief Executive Officer, Ms Ronke Kayode, disclosed this during an advocacy visit to the Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran-Yusuf, in Kano.
Kayode said the organisation, in partnership with Kola and Funke Foundation (KAF Care Foundation) and New Ethics for Empowerment and Development Initiative (NEEDIN), selected Kano for the pilot project based on recommendations from its Nigerian partners.
She said the initiative was designed to strengthen rehabilitation programmes, improve mental health support services and create sustainable reintegration opportunities for drug-dependent youths.
According to her, the project proposes a structured in-house rehabilitation model with psychiatric care, counselling, nursing support and vocational training for affected youths.
“The aim is not only rehabilitation but also reintegration. We want to provide counselling, medical care and skills acquisition programmes that will help young people rebuild their lives,” she said.
Kayode said the organisation planned to conduct a preliminary study involving selected participants to assess the effectiveness of the proposed intervention model.
She added that the programme would focus on identifying root causes of substance abuse, including depression, peer pressure and other psychosocial factors.
Responding, Labaran-Yusuf described drug abuse in Kano as a serious public health concern and assured the delegation of the ministry’s support.
He said the ministry would constitute a technical committee comprising directors from pharmaceutical services, public health, medical services, research and statistics to review the proposal and develop an implementation framework.
“We will study your methodology, look at the ethical considerations and determine how Kano State can benefit from the project and possible interventions that will follow,” the commissioner said.
Labaran-Yusuf added that the state government was already taking steps to revive the state committee on drug abuse control and welcomed partnerships that could strengthen ongoing efforts.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of NEEDIN, Mr Peter Hassan-Tijani, said Kano was suitable for the pilot project because of the growing challenge of drug abuse and the presence of active civil society networks working on related issues.
He commended the commissioner for granting the delegation audience and expressed optimism that the collaboration would contribute to reducing substance abuse among youths in the state. (NAN)
