Mrs Bello decried the high-level of substance abuse by young people in the state, expressing hope that much of the problem will be addressed with the ARC-P strategic Intervention.
The Nigerian Government says it is taking practical steps to address drug and substance abuse, particularly among vulnerable young people.
The Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Investments, Maryam Uwais, said this on Tuesday at the opening of a two-day stakeholders' workshop to flag off the implementation of the At-Risk Children Programme (ARC-P) in Niger State.
The details of the event were shared with PREMIUM TIMES via a statement personally signed by Mrs Uwais.
Mrs Uwais, who is the facilitator of the ARC-P programme, a federal government initiative under the auspices of the Office of the Vice President, said the federal government working with the NDLEA, UNODC and relevant stakeholders was making the interventions to discourage the illicit and distressing habit and practice.
Mrs Uwais stated that with the support of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), ARC-P has created a National Desk that is working with the state offices of the programme to sensitise young people on the many dangers of substance abuse, while putting in place structures to assist and rehabilitate those who are already addicted.
ARC-P was launched in January 2021 to address the "concerns of at-risk children and provide them with a life of dignity".
The programme is structured to make necessary Interventions in all the 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). ARC-P is currently active in five states, including Gombe, Sokoto, Ekiti, Kaduna and Borno.
"I should mention that substance abuse is like the elephant in the room in efforts to tackle the vulnerabilities associated with youth. We find too many young people, including women indulging in this unacceptable behavior even in our rural communities," Mrs Uwais said.
"Those who cannot afford the expensive heroin and cocaine quickly go for cheaper alternatives that are readily available. Interestingly, in ARC-P, we have a very senior, experienced and vibrant official from NDLEA who has been accompanying us to engage youths already using illicit drugs, with a view to dissuading them from the unwholesome practice by providing them with viable alternatives in the form of skills acquisition to enable them become productive," she said.
FG remains committed to tackling substance abuse among children
While presenting the ARC- P goals and roadmap to the stakeholders gathered for the workshop in Niger State, the presidential aide explained that the programme is based on seven pillars that were carefully chosen to equip beneficiaries with fundamental knowledge and life skills that will enable them to actively participate in and take charge of their own lives.
Mrs Uwais, who emphasised the value of education in a child's mental development, told the stakeholders that the ARC-P initiative is not creating anything new and that it will continue to make use of the existing structures in the states and FCT to carry out its mandate of addressing the universal problems faced by vulnerable children and out-of-school youth.
"We are not looking at replacing what is happening in primary schools, rather we are working with UBEC, using their Master Trainers on an intense curriculum that introduces basic literacy and numeracy to these children.
"It is important for those who have never been to school to connect with classroom activities so this 'pre-induction' interim course facilitates a basic appreciation of the critical elements for such children.
"Again, let me emphasise that we are not trying to take away the Islamic education already being taught to the children currently in Tsangaya schools because Islamic knowledge is critical to our faith, imbibing the foundational values for life.
"We are only trying to ensure that they are empowered with the knowledge that would enable them to become more productive in a rapidly developed and highly competitive world. It is important that the children have skills to help them brace up to the challenges of this high-tech era," she said.
Nigeria currently has the largest number of out-of-school children in the world with an estimated number of 13.2 million, a 2018 survey conducted by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) indicates.
Most of these children are in Nigeria's northern states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa, where Boko Haram insecurity have disrupted academic activities.
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Niger State will benefit immensely
In her remarks, Amina Abubakar-Bello, the wife of the governor of Niger State, expressed gratitude to President Buhari for the ARC-P initiative, which according to her, has sparked the partnership to address the plight of vulnerable youth and out-of-school children in the state.
She added that while the state was already moving in this direction, it is still open to new ideas and solutions to address the conditions facing children-at-risk in the state.
The governor's wife also expressed hope that ARC-P will have a significant influence on Niger State and anticipated that it would help around 15,000 disadvantaged children in its first two stages of implementation.
Mrs Bello decried the high-level of substance abuse by young people in the state, expressing hope that much of the problem will be addressed with the ARC-P strategic Intervention.
The Secretary to the Government of Niger State, Ahmed Matane, was among top government officials who attended the opening of the two-day workshop.
