The Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, has said the government will be using entertainment to sensitise the youths against the illicit use of drugs in the state.
Speaking during a press briefing at the state secretariat, Akinbile-Yussuf said the state would also be using an inter-ministerial approach comprising the ministry of tourism, arts and culture, ministry of youth and social development, and the ministry of health to drive the agenda.
She explained that the government would be implementing a project tagged Acada, adding that the project would aim to inculcate the people in the entertainment industry to speak against illicit drugs and their usage.
Akinbile-Yussuf said, “Not long ago, one of our prominent drummers, Ara, held a meeting with us and went to Mr governor along with the Ministry of Youth and Social Development to discuss this very pathetic story of our young people being into different kinds of drugs and how they can use the entertainment platform that promotes it in the past to speak against it.
“In the past, I was the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development and we wanted to start a project called Acada before I left. The project was about finding a way to inculcate the people in the entertainment industry to speak against illicit drugs and their usage.
“We are looking at partnering with the ministry of youth to come together with the ministry of tourism and entertainment, to have that Acada project because the issue has eaten deep down into the minds of the youths and children of less than 10 years, smoking different kinds of drugs and it is something that we need to look into.
“We would also be involving the ministry of health; we need to know where they are getting these drugs, so we can make it so difficult for them to access the drugs, and do different kinds of rehabilitation and civic engagements to make the public start speaking against it. So, it is going to be an inter-ministerial project for us in the state.”
