Award-winning Nigerian artiste Joeboy will perform at MTN Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP) ’s Drug Convos on Friday, June 25, 2021. The session titled “Share Facts On Drugs. Save Lives” will hold at 1:30 pm to commemorate the 2021 World Drug Day.
The online event will discuss everything around drug abuse, from addiction to how first-time users get hooked. According to a 2018 survey from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the number of drug users in Nigeria is 14.4 per cent or 14.3 million people aged between 15 and 64 years. The data suggest that the prevalence of drug use in Nigeria is more than twice the global average of 5.6 per cent.
Launched in December 2018, MTN ASAP is a multi-stakeholder intervention aimed at increasing awareness of substance abuse and addiction among youths. The intervention also seeks to discourage first-time users from taking the first step to possible addiction. In 2020, MTN hosted the Drug Convos, its first virtual event, that involved heated conversations on drug addiction and drug abuse. The Drug Convos, moderated by actress and presenter Folu Storms, featured award-winning recording artiste Praiz, comedian Chinedu “Nedu” Emmanuel, actresses Ini Edo and Dakore Akande-Egbuson, and music artiste David Jones David.
Speaking about the importance of the Anti-Substance Abuse Programme (ASAP), Chairman of MTN Foundation, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, says, “The purpose of this campaign is to stimulate discourse among thought leaders and policymakers from different walks of life, to bring us much closer towards our goal of freeing our future leaders from the evil attraction of drugs and possible addiction to opioids.”
Some of the keynote speakers at this year’s panel include Odunayo Sanya, the Executive Secretary of the MTN Foundation; Tony Rapu, Senior Pastor, House of Freedom; Bada Akintunde-Johnson, Country Manager, ViacomCBS Africa; Maymunah Kadiri, founder, Pinnacle Medical Services; Oliver Stolpe, Country Representative, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC); and Olawale Eso, a young Nigerian recovering from drug abuse. Compère and Accelerate TV Host Abiodun’ Beediesiel’ Laaro will host the event while Nnenna (Nenny B) Egwuekwe and David Jones David will moderate panel sessions.
Register here to be a part of the event and join the conversations with #MTNASAP.
