The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has launched a campaign against drug abuse targeting the young.
The group introduced hundreds of copies of free children’s comic books on anti-substance abuse through this campaign.
The books were introduced to discourage children from embracing hard drug habits at an early age.
HURIWA distributed copies of these colourful books to hundreds of pupils and students at the weekend in primary and post-primary schools in the nation’s capital.
According to the rights group, it intends to circulate copies of the books to all nooks and crannies of Nigeria.
Among the schools visited last Friday, the last day of the current term, are the Festland International School and Junior Secondary School Kabusa, Abuja.
The group has also concluded arrangements with its management and the board of Trustees to escalate the strategic advocacy campaigns with the book’s concept to be disseminated through the various social media and other media mass communication channels to reach the unreachable school children.
Speaking on this initiative, the national coordinator of HURIWA, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, commended the Federal Government for its consistent support to the nation’s Narcotics agency, the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
HURIWA recalled that on the 6th anti-substance campaign this year, it presented copies of the HURIWA’S anti-substance abuse comic children’s book to the NDLEA, Chairman/CEO Brig. General Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd) was happy with the initiative of producing a comic book to dramatise the dangers of exposure to hard drugs.
HURIWA had expressed her sincere gratitude for NDLEA’S unwavering support of its publication, “Children, Stop, Don’t Do Drugs.”
During the visit, Onwubiko told Marwa and his management team that their commitment is invaluable to them and that they consider it a privilege to collaborate with the NDLEA on the initiative.
“We firmly believe that our publication will serve as a crucial tool in raising awareness and preventing drug abuse among children across the country.
“With your strong support, we are optimistic that our publication will make a positive impact on the lives of Nigerian children”.
We are eager to work closely with the NDLEA to ensure the success of this vital project.
“In addition, we are actively reaching out to organisations to explore collaboration and funding opportunities. We appealed to organisations whose mission is to promote social change through strategic investments in health, education, and economic empowerment to partner with HURIWA given that these objectives align perfectly with our objectives.
“Furthermore, the comic children’s book shows our dedication to supporting vulnerable youths and we know that this objective resonates strongly with even the government’s avowed pro-youth policies.
We are confident that their involvement will enhance our message and broaden our reach,” he emphasised.
