The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has urged Nigerian youths to shun drug abuse and use their influence to promote healthy lifestyles, responsible citizenship and national development.

The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig Gen Buba Marwa (retd.), gave the charge on Monday in Abuja at the opening of the 2026 Rotary Youth Leadership Academy.

Marwa, represented by the agency’s Director of Prevention and Sensitisation, Dr Dankolo Mohammed, said youths had a crucial role to play in shaping the country’s future.

He said leadership was not about occupying positions but about taking responsibility and using one’s influence to serve others.

“Leadership is about responsibility. Leadership is about influence. Leadership is about service,” Marwa said.

The NDLEA boss warned that drug abuse affected not only individuals but also families, schools, communities, productivity, public health and national security.

He called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, schools, families, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations and youth-focused groups to tackle substance abuse.

Marwa also urged the participants to become ambassadors of the anti-drug campaign among their peers, stressing that young people had significant influence over one another.

“Be the friend who encourages, not the friend who destroys. Be the voice that informs, not the voice that misleads,” he said.

Also speaking, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, urged the participants to acquire practical skills and become active partners in national development.

Olawande said academic qualifications alone were no longer enough in a rapidly changing world, urging youths to develop technological, communication and problem-solving skills.

“A university degree is important, but please, the world is changing. A degree alone cannot strengthen you enough,” he said.

The District Governor of Rotary International District 9127, Sikiru Owonikoko, urged the participants to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the academy, particularly in mentorship, networking and leadership development.

“Whatever you have a chance to learn here will be useful,” he said.

The Chairman of the RYLA 2026 Planning Committee, Dr Kayode Fasua, said the academy would expose participants to leadership, digital innovation, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, financial intelligence, civic responsibility and vocational skills.

Fasua reiterated that the programme was designed to equip the youths with practical knowledge and a stronger sense of responsibility, urging them to become ethical leaders, innovative problem solvers and compassionate citizens.