Healthcare philanthropist and wife of Senate President, Toyin Saraki, has called for more advocacy around substance abuse and support for mental health practitioners in the country.
She made the call in Lagos at the finale of the second run of High, a contemporary stage play which tackles issues surrounding drug and prescription medication abuse in Nigeria.
Speaking at the end of a thrilling performance at the Shell Hall of MUSON Centre, Onikan, Mrs Saraki thanked the cast and crew – including the show’s artistic director, Keke Hammond – for choosing to tell what she called an important story that highlighted a growing social problem.
“As a parent, I cannot begin to imagine what it’s like to be dealing with a child with a drug problem and I want to thank you for this. You have shown it to us in such a reality that I think this story should be shown around schools in Nigeria.
“I think that the first step to getting things right is shining a light on this issue and I want to thank you, and I will as Keke knows, do what I can, because the more we talk, the closer we will get to the solution,” she said.
Saraki charged parents to look out for lifestyle changes in their children, wards and dependents that might hint at substance abuse problem.
High, which was supported by MTN Nigeria, through MTN Foundation, tells the story of a group of childhood teenage friends on holiday from boarding schools whose lives, as well as the lives of their parents and families, get dramatically upturned when one of them suffers a drug overdose.
In his remarks, Chief Operating Officer, MTN Nigeria, Mazen Mroue, said everyone has a role to play in ensuring that we build healthy thriving communities.
“At MTN, we always believed that everyone deserves the benefit of the modern connected life. Through the MTN Foundation, which is responsible for our corporate social investments, we believe that everyone deserves the benefit of a healthy life, and that’s why we are here and are part of supporting this show,” he said.
MTN Foundation, in collaboration with a consortium of professional and public policy stakeholders, launched an initiative called ‘ASAP’ – Anti Substance Abuse Programme – in December 2018.
