By Chioma Obinna
On this year’s World Drug Day the Mountain Top Rehabilitation Centre (MTRC), the addiction prevention and treatment arm of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, trained 130 guidance counsellors from government secondary schools across Lagos in substance use prevention, early identification, counselling and referral systems.
The two-day event, aimed at tackling the growing concerns over substance abuse among adolescents, intensive training, held as part of activities marking the 2026 World Drug Day,. The programme brought together counsellors from public schools across the state to strengthen school-based responses to the rising threat of drug abuse among teenagers.
Organised at the Shalom Auditorium of the MFM International Headquarters in Lagos, the programme focused on equipping participants with practical, evidence-based tools to identify early warning signs of substance use, provide appropriate counselling, and refer affected students for timely intervention.
The training, themed “Strengthening School-Based Substance Use Prevention, Early Identification, Counselling Response and Referral Systems,” comes at a time experts say substance use among young people is becoming an increasing public health and social concern, with implications for mental health, academic performance and crime.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Olajumoke Koyejo said schools remain one of the most critical spaces for prevention.
“Many young people battling substance use problems are first noticed in the classroom. If counsellors are trained to identify the signs early, they can intervene before experimentation progresses into addiction,” she said.
Koyejo stressed that substance abuse among adolescents should be approached as both a health and behavioural issue.
“We must move from stigma and punishment to prevention, support and structured intervention. Early help can make all the difference,” she added.
Also speaking, Titilope Ogunniyi described prevention as the most effective strategy in reducing drug dependence among young people.
“The school environment is one of our strongest prevention platforms. Equipping counsellors means strengthening the first line of defence against drug abuse,” she said.
The initiative was fully funded by Daniel Olukoya as part of MFM’s broader commitment to youth development and rehabilitation.
According to MTRC, the programme is designed to create lasting impact by helping counsellors develop action plans that can be implemented in their respective schools to promote drug-free environments.
Team Lead of the training, Olushola Tejuosho, said the intervention was aimed at building sustainable prevention systems within schools.
“This is beyond awareness. We are empowering counsellors with practical skills that can help save lives, strengthen families and protect communities,” he said.
The experts say early exposure to drugs significantly increases the risk of long-term addiction, mental illness and social instability, making preventive efforts at school level critical.
With 130 counsellors now trained and expected to return to schools across Lagos, stakeholders believed the programme could strengthen early intervention and help curb the growing menace of teen drug abuse in the state.
