EU, UNODC to sponsor movie on drug abuse in Nigeria

The European Union (EU), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) are supporting the production of a movie on the menace of drug abuse in Nigeria.

Ms Foluke Michael, the Chief Executive Officer and Project Director of the Creative Youth Community Development Initiative (CYCDI), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.

Michael said the movie would form part of the programmes to commemorate the 2018 International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26.

She added that the movie would also commemorate the 2018 edition of CYCDI annual project, “Voice of the Child (VoTC)’’, to raise drug prevention awareness among youths and vulnerable adults.

Michael said the 2018 edition of CYCDI project was designed to spurn creativities and the rich intellectual resources of targeted group.

“The event is to showcase 17 Voice of the Child participants drawn from 17 schools in Lagos nominated for 2018 edition.

“They will be required to make creative presentations and solutions on the project focus,`Sensitisation on the Nature of Drug use, Drug Dependence, Prevention’.

“Participants are to begin with awareness programme, followed by submission and presentation of a literary piece — essay, story and poem before a live audience by June 2018,’’ she said,

She said the participants would undergo series of training, networking and group pairing before final presentation, while their final research works would be submitted on June 3.

According to Michael, the VoTC is a yearly programme inaugurated in April 2012, which addresses cogent and themes that touched on the socio-political and cultural realities of the country.

“Over 3000 children from primary and secondary schools, ages between 8 and 16 years have benefited from VoTC since inception.

“The project has produced over 173 paintings and drawings by the student finalists, and these works are expected to be mounted in a permanent exhibition soon,’’ she said.

Michael said that one of programmes of her organisation recently won the United Nations SDG Awards in Innovator Category in Bonn, Germany in March.

She recalled that a total of 740 organisations from seven continents and 125 countries were nominated for the global award.