The Representative for Lagos Central Senatorial District in the Nigerian Youth Parliament; Abdulmumin Edidi hosts inter-secondary school debate on drug abuse, presents winners with Laptops, Mobile Tablets etc.

The representative of Lagos Central Senatorial District in the Nigerian Youth Parliament; Abdulmumin Edidi organized an inter-secondary school debate competition on drug abuse amongst public secondary schools in Lagos Central Senatorial District.

The preliminary round of the competition, which was held on Wednesday 29th June 2022, had students of 29 schools across Lagos central senatorial district, 13 junior and 13 senior state schools from the 13 LGAs/LCDAs in addition to the 3 federal government schools in the constituency, Kings college Lagos, Queens college Yaba, and Federal Science and Technical college Yaba debate various topics revolving the drug abuse menace including; Boys are more likely to abuse drugs than girls, The Government is to blame for increasing rate of drug abuse amongst students, Drug abuse is the major cause of gender base violence, Drug abusers should be treated and not punished, Social media is a major hub for drug abusers, Parents are responsible for the increasing rate of drug abuse amongst youth, Poverty is the cause of drug abuse, and Drug abuse is more of a health issue than a criminal issue.

Four (4) Junior Secondary schools; State Junior High School, United Christian Junior Secondary School, Queens College Yaba, and Kuramo Junior School, as well as Four (4) Senior Secondary Schools; King Ado Senior High School, Queens College Yaba, Araromi Senior Secondary School, and State Senior High School qualified for the final which was held on Wednesday 6th July 2022.

A total of 160 students, from 16 senior and 16 junior secondary schools participated in the debate, which is designed to initiate the conversation against drug abuse in secondary schools through peer-to-peer education. It is an initiative drawn from the Nigerian Youth Parliament, Drug and Substance Abuse Control Policy Brief 2022, which recommends cognitive behavioural health education in schools in bid to eradicate the menace from public schools.

At the debate finale which had in attendance; Representative of the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Hon. Segun Dawodu, SSA on Health to Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Oreoluwa Finnih who represented the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, Representative of H.E Dame Abimbola Fashola, Former First Lady of Lagos State and Chairman Leadership, Empowerment, and Resource Network, Representative of the Chairman Apapa LGA; Hon. Idowu Adejumoke Senbanjo, and Representative of CEO Temple

Management Company, Mr. Idris Olorunimbe, the finalists debated on; Students are better advocates against drug abuse amongst their peers than Teachers, and Establishment of Drug Free Clubs in schools is a necessary move rather than an unsustainable one, in the fight against drug abuse. The Guest Speaker, Dr. Ololade Adeyemi CEO Magna Carta Health, spoke on the theme of the debate: Stemming the tides of drug abuse.

The debate contest ended with Khalid Oyebanji, and Precious Adedimeji of King Ado Senior High School, Lagos Island LGA emerging winners, Mewunu Olorunwa and Fathia Jamiu of Araromi Senior Secondary School Apapa Iganmu LCDA, first runners up, while Rachael Joseph and Abdulrahmon Shifau of State Senior High School Surulere LGA, emerged second runners up for the senior category. Deborah Adebayo and Mistura Bello of State Junior High School Surulere LGA, emerged winners, Samuel Ayeji and Hannah Bankole of United Christian Junior Secondary School Apapa LGA, emerged first runners up, while Faith Sunday, and Mary Akinlade of Kuramo Junior College emerged second runners up of the junior category respectively.
The winners of the senior categories were presented with one laptop for each of the students, while winners of the junior category were presented with one mobile tablet for each of the students amongst other prizes of school bags, books and cash. The first runners up and second runners up for both categories were also presented with prizes of school bags, books, and specialized training opportunities, while all other participants in the debate received books and certificates of participation.

The debate is not just a contest but an advocacy through which a new breed of 160 student Anti-Drug Abuse Advocates have been raised across 29 senior and junior secondary schools in Lagos central senatorial district. The debate would be followed by establishment of Drug Free Clubs in the schools as part of the plan to sustain advocacy against drug abuse in public secondary schools in Lagos State. The Nigerian Youth Parliament is taking the lead in the fight against drug and substance abuse in the country, as various parliamentarians are deploying initiatives in their respective constituencies to combat the menace.