The Executive Director of the Youth Society for Prevention of Infectious Disease and Social Vices (YOSPIS), Zainab Nasir Ahmad, has stressed that education remains the most effective tool for addressing social vices and insecurity among young people.
Zainab disclosed this in an interview with SolaceBase TV, where she highlighted the link between lack of education and the rising cases of drug abuse, thuggery and other criminal activities among youths in Kano State.
According to her, education plays a crucial role in shaping individuals and communities, noting that it is rare to find educated people deeply involved in social vices.
“Education is the pathway to reforming every society. Whatever problem a society faces, it is difficult to find an educated person actively involved in it,” she said.
She explained that many of the youths involved in drug abuse, gang-related activities and other forms of criminality in Kano are often individuals who missed the opportunity to acquire formal education and life skills.
Using insecurity as an example, Zainab said those engaged in thuggery and substance abuse are mostly young people who lack adequate education and awareness, leaving them vulnerable to negative influences.
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She urged the government to invest more in education while calling on communities and parents to encourage young people to pursue learning.
“Youths are the wealth of every society because they constitute the majority of the population. Once a young person is educated, it becomes difficult for them to engage in harmful activities,” she added.
The YOSPIS executive director, however, lamented that many young people in society still lack access to education, stressing that in some cases the number of uneducated youths rivals or even exceeds that of those with educational opportunities.
She attributed the situation in part to the lack of clear direction and guidance for many young people during their formative years, saying that the resulting challenges often contribute to social and economic decline within communities.
Zainab maintained that if parents, government and community leaders play their respective roles effectively and provide youths with opportunities for education and self-reliance, many of these problems can be significantly reduced.
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Speaking on the activities of YOSPIS, she said the organisation works to discourage young people from engaging in social vices whenever opportunities arise.
According to her, the organisation collaborates with the Kano State Government and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in efforts aimed at combating drug abuse, crime and other forms of antisocial behaviour among youths.
She also highlighted the importance of social media in reaching young audiences.
“Social media has enormous influence. Many of these young people are active on these platforms. Even if they do not write posts themselves, they watch videos and consume content online, so we use these channels to reach them,” she said.
The NGO leader noted that radio remains an important advocacy tool because it reaches parents and community leaders who can influence young people positively.
She added that YOSPIS and its partners also conduct community outreach programmes in neighbourhoods where vulnerable youths reside, organising awareness campaigns and engagement sessions to promote peaceful living.
Zainab revealed that one of the organisation’s major successes was a programme implemented in partnership with the Nigeria Police Force, through which more than 600 youths involved in thuggery and drug abuse renounced violence and surrendered their weapons.
“We worked with the police and engaged over 600 youths who were involved in thuggery and drug abuse. They embraced peace, surrendered their weapons, and we developed programmes to train them in vocational skills.
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“The police also recruited some of them into the Police Constabulary to support community policing efforts,” she said.
Beyond community interventions, she said the organisation is actively advocating for policy reforms and legislation aimed at youth development and drug control in Kano State.
She disclosed that YOSPIS has been supporting efforts to secure the passage of the Drug Abuse Law currently before the Kano State House of Assembly.
