KEY POINTS

• The NDLEA urges Nigerians battling drug dependence to use its 24-hour counselling helpline.
• The 247-Network line, 0800-1020-3040, offers responses in several Nigerian languages.
• The agency is partnering with faith-based organizations to deepen prevention and recovery.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has urged Nigerians battling drug dependence to seek help through its 24-hour counselling and referral service. The Secretary of the NDLEA, Shadrach Haruna, gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja, marking the 2026 United Nations International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

Round-the-clock support

According to Haruna, professional support remains available at all hours for people struggling with drug use disorders. Moreover, he urged families and friends of those battling addiction to reach out, stressing that recovery is possible with the right support and intervention.

He explained that the agency’s helpline, 0800-1020-3040, also known as the 247-Network, ensures timely access to professional help for individuals and families. Furthermore, he said the service responds in the caller’s preferred language. “Anyone who calls the number will receive an instant response in whatever language they speak, whether Pidgin English, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo or formal English,” he said.

In addition, Haruna noted that trained social psychologists work round the clock to provide counselling and to refer callers to treatment and rehabilitation centres nearest to them. According to him, treatment and rehabilitation remain essential pillars of the agency’s balanced approach, alongside enforcement, prevention and public enlightenment.

Working with faith groups

Speaking further, Haruna said the agency has adopted innovative approaches to tackle drug abuse and illicit trafficking, including partnerships with faith-based organizations. According to him, churches and other religious bodies have become critical stakeholders because of their influence on families and communities.

“We involve and use a lot of innovative responses, and one of those responses is to use faith-based organisations, which of course include churches,” he said. Beyond reporting drug-related activities, he noted, these organizations contribute through counselling, moral teaching and family-focused interventions. Therefore, he described families as the fulcrum of social development and said churches offer a strategic platform for reaching homes with anti-drug messages.

Consequently, Haruna said the NDLEA is leveraging that influence to take prevention campaigns to the grassroots. Ultimately, he called on Nigerians, religious leaders, families and community stakeholders to support efforts to cut drug demand and help people recover, and he reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to expanding treatment and recovery services nationwide.

This is a sensitive topic; if you or someone you know is struggling with drug dependence, that NDLEA line (0800-1020-3040) is the support resource named in the story.