Kano State launches rehabilitation plan for 10,000 youths

The Kano State Government has launched a plan to rehabilitate and economically empower 10,000 drug-affected youths over the next year. The initiative is being managed by the Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

According to Muhyi Magaji Rimingado, chairman of the task force, the program involves identifying youths on the streets, providing detoxification and rehabilitation, and offering career guidance to facilitate their reintegration into society. The project will be implemented in clusters in collaboration with state correctional centers. Rehabilitation centers are currently being prepared in areas including Madobi, Danbatta, Gezawa, and Dawakintofa.

The initiative follows significant drug enforcement activity in the region. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Kano Strategic Command reported destroying over 12,000 kilograms of illicit narcotics in June and seizing more than 2.5 tonnes of substances between January and June. The state's efforts aim to address the social and security challenges posed by drug abuse, which has been linked to crime, violence, and social instability.