Drug And Substance Abuse Among Youths In Kano Metropolis: A Socio-Political Assessment Of Social Drivers, Governance Responses, And Policy Implications

• Akilu Adamu Mohammed

  National Drug Law Enforcement Agency/Department of Sociology, Bayero University Kano

  Author

• Rogers Roland Wazakari

  Department of Political Science, Bayero University Kano

  Author

The study examines drug and substance among youths in Kano metropolis. Drug and substance abuse among youths has become a critical social and governance concern in Nigeria, with urban centres experiencing the most severe impacts. Despite the presence of national drug control policies and law enforcement institutions, the prevalence of substance abuse among young people continues to rise, suggesting that existing approaches have not adequately addressed the underlying social and institutional drivers of the problem. The objectives of the study are to examine the social factors influencing drug and substance abuse among youths in Kano Metropolis and to assess the effectiveness of governance responses and policy interventions in addressing youth drug and substance abuse in Kano Metropolis. The study adopts differential association theory. This study used descriptive survey research design. The population of this study consists of youths aged 15-35 years residing in Kano Metropolis. A purposive and stratified sampling technique was employed to analyse 250 respondents. Descriptive and chi square analysis was used to analysed data collected. The study discovered that unemployment and financial stress lead to drug abuse and it was also discovered that there is significant influence of peer on drug abuse in Kano metropolis. The study recommends that the government and non-governmental organizations should expand targeted employment and vocational training initiatives for youths and law enforcement agencies and relevant ministries should coordinate to ensure consistent enforcement of drug laws, increase awareness campaigns, and monitor program effectiveness.

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