Keypoints
- A prominent scholar has revealed that 14.4 percent of Nigerians aged 15 to 67 consume psychoactive substances.
- The critical findings were presented during the 3rd Inaugural Lecture of the Lagos State University of Education.
- Authorities noted that secondary school alcohol consumption has reached one in three students in certain regions.
- The academic brief identified examination malpractice and cultism as critical threats expanding into high schools.
- Experts emphasized that a collective stakeholder contract is required to shield digital-age youth from cybercrime.
Main Story
A don, Prof. Morufu Daodu, has stated that studies show that about 14.4 per cent of Nigerians aged 15 to 67 use psychoactive substances, with a high prevalence among youths aged 10 to 29.
Citing these figures on Wednesday while delivering the institution’s 3rd Inaugural Lecture at Oto-Ijanikin, Lagos State, Daodu argued that adolescents are growing up in a highly digital age where widespread access to smartphones and the internet exposes them to risky and unethical online practices.
He maintained that involvement in cybercrime, driven by peer influence and the lure of quick wealth, not only harms victims but also damages the future, reputation, and moral character of the perpetrators.
To address these expanding societal threats, Daodu indicated that addressing adolescent challenges requires the collective efforts of parents, teachers, counselors, religious leaders, policymakers, and the wider society.
He noted that alongside drug abuse and social media addiction, over 4,000 cases of fingerprint manipulation were recorded during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
Consequently, Daodu called for stronger counseling services, early moral education, strict enforcement of laws against drug distribution, and targeted poverty alleviation programs to help vulnerable families navigate these contemporary crises.
The Issues
- Rising substance abuse among high school students undermines foundational public health systems and educational productivity.
- Easy access to unmonitored digital networks accelerates the recruitment of vulnerable teenagers into international cyber fraud rings.
- Systemic poverty and economic hardship continuously push adolescents toward examination malpractice and organized campus cultism.
What’s Being Said
- Professor Morufu Daodu stated that “Cultism has spread beyond tertiary institutions to secondary schools, exposing young people to violence, intimidation and trauma.”
- He added that “Negative peer pressure and aggressive behaviour are pushing many adolescents into truancy, unsafe sexual practices and other forms of misconduct.”
- “Cybercrime, popularly known as Yahoo-Yahoo, is endangering the future and moral character of many adolescents,” the academic maintained during the lecture.
- Discussing the drivers of digital scams, he noted that “This behaviour is often driven by peer influence, curiosity, the lure of quick wealth and limited awareness of legal and moral consequences.”
- He warned of the consequences of modern internet habits, explaining that “Involvement in cybercrime not only harms victims but also damages the future, reputation and moral character of the perpetrators.”
What’s Next
- The management of LASUED will expand its institutional counseling framework to provide community-level behavioral support within the Oto-Ijanikin axis.
- Ministry officials will review the professor’s policy recommendations to design safe recreational centers and sports hubs for urban youth.
- Exam regulatory bodies will deploy advanced biometric verification upgrades to curb fingerprint manipulation ahead of upcoming matriculation cycles.
Bottom Line
Warning that a significant portion of Nigerian youths are turning to psychoactive substances and cybercrime, Professor Morufu Daodu has called for an urgent stakeholder intervention combining digital literacy, strict law enforcement, and early moral instruction to safeguard adolescents.
