Nigeria, June 9 -- The growing menace of drug abuse among young Nigerians has become one of the most disturbing social challenges confronting our nation. Recent reports indicating that more than half of drug offenders arrested in Nigeria are youths should alarm every parent, teacher, policymaker, and community leader. These statistics are not just numbers; they represent a generation whose future is increasingly threatened by substance abuse.

The reality is clear: if we are serious about winning the war against drug abuse, the battle must begin in our schools.

Young people spend a significant portion of their formative years in educational institutions. It is during this period that many of them are exposed to peer pressure, emotional c...