Before: In the Ohoror community of Delta State, drug use has emerged as a pressing concern, particularly among our youth. Community members have observed a troubling rise in the public consumption of substances like Indian hemp, shisha, and tramadol, prompting serious worries about their detrimental effects on young people’s health, relationships, and overall engagement in community life. This alarming trend signals a critical need for a united, community-led initiative to address the issue, especially as young people grapple with social and economic challenges.
Our response: Rather than viewing drug use as merely an individual issue, our intervention emphasises the necessity of mobilising young people, community leaders, and local stakeholders. Together, we can deepen our understanding of the problem and collaboratively develop safer, more positive alternatives for youth, ultimately fostering a healthier and more vibrant community for everyone.
After: Through SDN’s EU-funded, community-centred peacebuilding programme, Ohoror took a more active role in responding to drug abuse among young people. The community established a youth-led task force that works with the Police and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to identify and address drug dealing and public drug use. Community reporting indicates that public drug use has fallen significantly, while several former dealers have moved into legitimate livelihoods.
The experience points to the need for a broader, community-based response to drug abuse across the Niger Delta—one that combines prevention and awareness with accessible treatment and rehabilitation, livelihood opportunities for young people, and stronger coordination between communities, law-enforcement agencies, health services and other relevant institutions. Community-led approaches such as the one developed in Ohoror can provide useful models for addressing the wider drivers and consequences of drug abuse without relying on enforcement alone.
“The community empowered the youth by establishing a youth-led taskforce group to take action against illicit drug activities in the community. They were given the mandate and have been collaborating with the Law Enforcement Agencies… to apprehend drug dealers in Ohoror community.”
— Mr Julius Erahye
Source: Peace & Security pillar team input; SDN’s EU narrative report, “A Community-Centred Approach to Transforming Criminality and Violence in the Niger Delta.”
