Nigeria’s Drug Agency Launches Radio Station to Combat Culture Glorifying Substance Abuse

…NDLEA’s Clean Beat 91.5FM commences broadcast in Abuja as UN, NBC and NOA hail initiative

Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has commissioned its own radio station, Clean Beat 91.5FM, in Abuja, as part of a bold push to counter what its chairman describes as a toxic pop culture that glamourises illicit drug use among young Nigerians.

The station was officially launched on Thursday by NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), who used the occasion to call on all Nigerians to join the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy campaign and help rescue the country’s youth from normalising addiction.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Marwa said the station represented far more than the switching on of a transmitter.

“Today, we are amplifying hope,” he declared. “We are commissioning a powerful, relentless voice for a cause that sits at the very heart of our national security, the survival of our communities, and the destiny of our youth.”

Marwa argued that enforcement alone could never defeat the drug menace. “While enforcement wins battles, education and prevention win wars,” he said, adding that true victory could only be secured by dismantling demand and conquering the ignorance that draws young people into addiction.

He described the station’s mission as replacing a culture that celebrates drug use with one that champions sobriety and showcases genuine stories of recovery.

“We will counter the toxic pop-culture that glamourises drug abuse by replacing it with a vibrant, alternative culture – one that celebrates sobriety, showcases real stories of recovery, and provides accurate, life-saving information,” he said.

The NDLEA chief warned of grave consequences if the narrative was left unchecked. “Substance abuse is a hydra-headed monster that feeds insecurity, decimates public health, cripples economic productivity, and compromises the very future of our workforce,” he cautioned.

Marwa credited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose administration approved the station’s budget, along with the National Security Adviser and the National Broadcasting Commission for approving the radio frequency, and international partners, for making the project possible.

International and domestic backing
The launch drew goodwill messages from several prominent organisations.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Country Representative, Mr Cheikh Ousmane Touré, represented by Dr Akanidomo Ibanga, praised the NDLEA for adopting radio as a tool for advocacy, saying the initiative demonstrated “a continued commitment to innovative and people-centred approaches that complement enforcement efforts with education, advocacy, and dialogue.”

He noted that the station aligned with Nigeria’s National Drug Control Master Plan and reinforced the NDLEA’s leadership in pursuing a balanced, health-oriented and security-conscious approach to drug control.

The Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mr Charles Ebuebu, described the station’s establishment as “the strategic deployment of broadcasting as an instrument of national orientation, behavioural change, youth engagement and social transformation.”

He emphasised that with one of the youngest populations in the world, Nigeria’s greatest long-term investment must be the protection, education and empowerment of its youth.

“The fight against substance abuse is therefore not simply a law enforcement responsibility. It is a national developmental imperative,” he said.

The Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, represented by Mr Bala Musa, also commended the initiative, describing the station as a platform to enhance positive attitudinal change and citizens’ reorientation.

Marwa justified the choice of radio as a medium in the digital age, arguing that it remained uniquely powerful. “It is intimate. It is immediate. It bypasses barriers and speaks directly to the citizen – in their living rooms, on their daily commutes, in the bustling marketplaces, and in the quiet moments of introspection,” he said.

Appealing directly to Nigerian youth, the NDLEA boss urged them to embrace the station as their own.

“Tune in, engage with our programmes, challenge yourselves, and become ambassadors of this movement. Let us rewrite the story of our generation; let us guard the health of our nation; and let us protect the rhythm of our future. Together, let us keep the beat clean,” he said.

Clean Beat 91.5FM broadcasts from Abuja and is intended to serve as a centrepiece of the NDLEA’s wider public education and drug prevention strategy nationwide.