The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Edo Command on Thursday trained members of the National Youth Service Corps Drug Free Club as anti-drug abuse advocates.

The specialised one-day “Anti-Drug Abuse Train the Trainer” seminar, held in Benin on Thursday, was meant to strengthen grassroots sensitisation and prevention efforts among young people.

Speaking during the event, Mitchell Ofoyeju, who is the state Commander of the NDLEA, said the initiative was designed to equip corps members with the knowledge and skills required to champion drug abuse prevention campaigns in their communities.

Ofoyeju, who officially decorated the President of the NYSC Drug Free Club, Patience Ichin, as a War Against Drug Abuse partner, urged the corps members to serve as role models and peer educators in the fight against substance abuse.

He also presented copies of the NDLEA Edo State Command magazine to participants to support their advocacy activities.
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Delivering a lecture titled, “Drug Use Among Youth: A Global Perspective,” Ofoyeju highlighted the growing prevalence of substance abuse among young people and its social, health and security implications.

According to him, youths remain one of the most vulnerable groups affected by drug abuse, making preventive education and community engagement critical in tackling the menace.

Also speaking, the Head of Counselling, Treatment and Rehabilitation of the command, Hope Aigbogun, stressed the importance of the NYSC Drug Free Club in combating drug abuse.

Aigbogun described corps members as strategic change agents capable of influencing positive behavioural change among their peers and within communities.

The training also featured a drug exhibition session where participants were exposed to various illicit substances and educated on their harmful effects.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has urged African countries to strengthen financing structures and improve payment systems to unlock the continent’s vast gas potential and drive sustainable energy growth.

According to a statement obtained from its X handle on Friday, speaking at a strategic roundtable organised by the African Oil and Gas Coalition at the ongoing Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, NNPC Ltd’s Executive Vice President, Gas, Power & New Energy, Olalekan Ogunleye, said Africa must focus on building practical and bankable solutions to address long-standing challenges in gas monetisation.

The session, themed “Gas without Cash: Breaking the African Monetisation Deadlock,” brought together energy executives and policymakers to explore how the continent can attract more investment into its gas sector.

Ogunleye said Africa’s gas resources remain underutilised due to weak financing structures and payment challenges, stressing that reliable cash flow systems are critical for attracting long-term capital.

He called for stronger African-led financial frameworks that reflect local market realities and support sustainable development across the energy value chain.
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“For Africa to fully unlock its gas potential, we must move from conversations about challenges to building practical, bankable solutions that work within African realities,” Ogunleye said.

He added that reliable payment performance remains the foundation for sustainable gas commercialisation across Africa, noting that without trust in payment systems, investment in large-scale gas projects will remain limited.

Ogunleye also highlighted Nigeria’s approach to the sector, saying the country is adopting a value-chain strategy aimed at positioning itself as a regional energy hub.

“Nigeria is taking a comprehensive value-chain approach to the oil and gas business,” he said, adding that the goal is to strengthen commercial viability and expand regional energy integration.

The Africa CEO Forum, which gathers senior executives, investors, and policymakers across the continent and beyond, focuses on key themes such as regional integration, investment mobilisation, and sustainable economic growth.