NGO Unveils Pilot Project to Tackle Drug Abuse, Mental Health Challenges in Kano

A United States-based non-governmental organisation, House of Joy, has unveiled a pilot project aimed at addressing drug abuse and mental health challenges among youths and women in Kano State.

The Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, Ms Ronke Kayode, disclosed this during an advocacy visit to the Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran-Yusuf, on Tuesday in Kano.

She said the project was being implemented in partnership with Kola and Funke Foundation (KAF Care Foundation) and the New Ethics for Empowerment and Development Initiative (NEEDIN).

Kayode said Kano was selected for the pilot phase based on recommendations from the organisation’s Nigerian partners, adding that the initiative was designed to strengthen rehabilitation programmes, improve mental health support services and create sustainable reintegration opportunities for drug-dependent youths.

She explained that the project would adopt a structured in-house rehabilitation model involving psychiatric care, counselling, nursing support and vocational training.

According to her, the programme seeks not only to rehabilitate affected individuals but also to reintegrate them into society through skills acquisition and psychosocial support.

She added that a preliminary study would be conducted among selected participants to assess the effectiveness of the intervention model and identify underlying factors driving substance abuse, including depression, peer pressure and other psychosocial challenges.

Responding, Labaran-Yusuf described drug abuse as a major public health concern in Kano and assured the delegation of the ministry’s support. He said the ministry would establish a technical committee comprising officials from relevant departments to review the proposal and develop an implementation framework.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of NEEDIN, Mr Peter Hassan-Tijani, said Kano was well-suited for the pilot project due to the growing challenge of drug abuse and the presence of active civil society organisations working to address the problem, expressing optimism that the partnership would help reduce substance abuse among youths in the state.