Abakpa Youth Summit: Edeoga, NDLEA Warn Youths Against Drug Abuse, Thuggery, Urge Skills Acquisition
…As NYC declares Abakpa youths Anti-Drug Ambassadors, endorses good governance
Abakpa, the densely populated hub of Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, was agog on Saturday as youths from Nike, Ugbo Odogwu, Housing Estate and neighbouring communities converged for the maiden Abakpa Youth Summit 2026, with a clarion call for purposeful living, skills acquisition, political consciousness and abstinence from drug abuse.
The summit, organised by the Nigerian Youth Congress (NYC), Enugu State Chapter, was held under the theme, “Focusing the Youths for a Brighter Tomorrow.”
The event provided a platform for intellectual engagement, youth mobilisation and moral reorientation, with the convener and State Chairman of NYC, Engr. Prince Wilfred Ifenjika Edeoga, and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Enugu State Command, urging young people to shun destructive tendencies and embrace productive ventures.
In his keynote address, Edeoga identified focus, discipline, productivity, mentorship, good governance, security and unity as indispensable ingredients for youth advancement and sustainable community development.
Describing Abakpa as the heartbeat of Enugu East, he observed that its strategic importance to the state made youth development in the area a matter of wider public interest.
“Fixing Abakpa is fixing a large part of Enugu State. Our youths are strong, talented and industrious, but energy without direction is a waste,” he declared.
He cautioned young people against allowing social media trends and fleeting attractions to derail their ambitions, urging them to identify clear career objectives, document their aspirations and pursue them with unwavering commitment.
According to him, academic qualifications alone are no longer sufficient in today’s competitive economy, stressing that practical and marketable skills have become essential tools for economic independence.
He listed phone repairs, shoemaking, website development, tailoring, barbing, baking, plumbing, solar installation and digital marketing among viable skills young people could acquire to become self-reliant.
Edeoga challenged every participant to acquire at least one marketable skill before the next summit, assuring that the NYC would facilitate access to vocational training, empowerment programmes and loan opportunities.
He equally emphasised the importance of mentorship, advising youths to seek guidance from accomplished professionals and business leaders rather than fall prey to fraudulent individuals and deceptive lifestyles.
He disclosed that Abakpa had a pool of successful engineers, traders, security officers, lecturers and entrepreneurs whose experience could be harnessed to mentor emerging talents, adding that the NYC was developing a platform to connect young people with credible mentors.
On governance and Enugu’s development
A significant part of his address focused on good governance, which he said should be evaluated through measurable achievements and verifiable evidence rather than political propaganda or hearsay.
While stressing that the NYC was constitutionally non-partisan, non-religious and non-tribal, Edeoga maintained that patriotic citizens had a responsibility to acknowledge, encourage and support good governance wherever it was demonstrated.
Citing the official compendium, A Thousand and One Reasons, presented by Governor Peter Mbah on September 9, 2026, which he said documented more than 10,000 milestones recorded within 39 months, Edeoga highlighted several developmental projects and policy interventions by the state government.
He disclosed that education received 32.27 per cent of Enugu State’s N1.62 trillion 2026 budget, amounting to approximately N521 billion, which he described as the highest allocation to the sector by any state in the country.
He listed the construction of 268 Smart Green Schools across 260 electoral wards, comprising more than 7,000 classrooms equipped with solar power, digital whiteboards, robotics and artificial intelligence laboratories, and electronic libraries.
Other interventions, according to him, included the recruitment of 2,500 smart teachers, provision of free uniforms, textbooks and tablets, as well as a N30 billion school-feeding programme for approximately 260,000 pupils daily.
He also highlighted the development of 16 Smart Senior Secondary Schools and 10 Technical and Vocational Schools, alongside the upgrading of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), including new faculty buildings, hostels, roads and specialised academic programmes.
On healthcare, Edeoga cited the rehabilitation of 260 Type-2 Primary Healthcare Centres, one in each ward, to provide round-the-clock services, as well as the extensive upgrading of ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane.
He further referenced the 300-bed Enugu International Hospital at Rangers Avenue, which he said had been equipped with specialised centres of excellence in cancer treatment, cardiovascular medicine, neurosciences, renal care and transplantation.
The recruitment of more than 2,000 health workers was also listed among the administration’s interventions in the sector.
On security, he commended the restructuring of forest security operations through Forest Guards and Neighbourhood Watch personnel, the deployment of thousands of CCTV cameras with facial and vehicle number recognition technology, and the establishment of a Distress Response Squad equipped with 150 patrol vehicles fitted with GPS and body cameras.
He said these measures had strengthened security and helped sustain an environment in which businesses could operate throughout the week.
Roads, transport, electricity and economic development
Highlighting infrastructure development, Edeoga said the Mbah administration had constructed or reconstructed 1,521 kilometres of roads within 39 months.
Among the projects he mentioned were the Abakpa-Ugwogo Opi-Nsukka dual carriageway, Ugwogo-Awhum road, Amankanu-Agbogazi-Ugwogo Nike road and the 40-kilometre Owo-Ubahu-Amankanu-Ikem dual carriageway.
He also identified more than 90 urban roads reconstructed within Enugu metropolis, including Mike Eje, Nowas, Tex-Maco and Liberty Estate roads in Abakpa, describing them as visible evidence of the administration’s infrastructure drive.
The proposed New Enugu Smart City, covering 10,000 hectares and designed to accommodate about 300,000 residents, was another project he highlighted.
On transportation, he cited the establishment of Enugu Air, the commencement of international flights between Enugu and Douala on September 23, 2026, and the planned Enugu-United Kingdom direct flight scheduled to commence on December 1, 2026.
He also mentioned the five ultra-modern bus terminals at Holy Ghost, Abakpa, Nsukka, Gariki and Awkunanaw, with five additional terminals under development, as well as the deployment of compressed natural gas (CNG) buses and hybrid taxis.
Addressing electricity supply, Edeoga said the establishment of the Enugu Electricity Regulatory Commission (EERC) had positioned the state to exercise greater control over its electricity market under the Electricity Act.
He added that the government was developing power-generation initiatives through public-private partnerships, including gas-powered plants and renewable energy projects, to support industries, schools, hospitals and residential communities.
He particularly commended the installation of solar-powered streetlights across Enugu metropolis, including Abakpa, noting that improved electricity supply was fundamental to commercial activities and economic productivity.
Other achievements he highlighted included the rehabilitation of the 9th Mile and Oji River water schemes, which he said had increased daily water production from about two million litres to more than 120 million litres.
He also cited the growth of internally generated revenue from N26.8 billion in 2022 to more than N400 billion in 2025, without the introduction of new taxes, attributing the development partly to the revival of moribund state-owned assets and enterprises.
According to him, the administration had also laid more than 380 kilometres of fibre-optic cables, digitised over 80 per cent of land titles through the Enugu Geographic Information System (ENGIS), and facilitated more than 120,000 direct and indirect jobs.
He urged the youths to independently verify the projects, insisting that the achievements were tangible and their locations identifiable.
Abakpa youths declare support for good governance
Against this backdrop, Edeoga declared the readiness of Abakpa youths to support and encourage what he described as the developmental strides of the Mbah administration beyond 2027.
He maintained that such a position was not an expression of partisan allegiance but a patriotic endorsement of policies and programmes considered beneficial to the people.
He said: “When you see 268 Smart Green Schools with free feeding and tablets, 260 healthcare centres and a 300-bed international hospital, 1,521 kilometres of roads, CCTV cameras, the Distress Response Squad and international flights, you understand what good governance means.
“As youths of Abakpa, we declare our support for and encouragement of this good governance to continue beyond 2027, so that the ongoing transformation can be completed and consolidated for the benefit of our people.”
2027: Edeoga warns against political thuggery
With the 2027 general elections approaching, the NYC chairman issued a strong warning against the recruitment of youths for electoral violence and other criminal activities.
He cautioned politicians against enticing vulnerable young people with money, illicit drugs, alcohol and dangerous weapons to intimidate opponents, snatch ballot boxes or disrupt electoral processes.
According to him, politicians who sponsor electoral violence often shield their own children and relatives from such dangers while exploiting economically disadvantaged youths for selfish political ambitions.
“No N20,000 or N50,000 can replace your life, your future, your children’s future or your privileges as a Nigerian youth,” he warned.
He explained that involvement in political violence could result in death, imprisonment, permanent criminal records and the loss of opportunities for decent employment and international travel.
He further observed that weapons distributed during elections could subsequently fuel armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
Urging the youths to embrace peaceful political participation, he declared: “Your PVC is your power, not your gun. Your voice is your power, not your cutlass. Any politician who asks you to engage in thuggery does not love you; he loves only himself.
“A good leader gives you skills, jobs and education, not guns.”
Edeoga assured participants that the NYC would report any politician or political group attempting to recruit Abakpa youths for electoral violence.
NDLEA declares war on drug abuse
The NDLEA, Enugu State Command, reinforced the message with a comprehensive sensitisation campaign against substance abuse.
The State Commander, represented by the Principal Staff Officer, Drug Demand Reduction, warned that drug abuse remained one of the most destructive threats to the future of young people.
He identified cannabis, Tramadol, Codeine, methamphetamine, popularly known as Mkpuru Mmiri, and illicit alcoholic substances as some of the commonly abused substances among youths.
He warned that substance abuse could lead to mental health disorders, school dropout, criminal activities, cultism, armed robbery and premature death.
“There is no successful drug addict. Drugs do not make you a big boy; they make you a useless boy,” he cautioned.
The NDLEA representative disclosed that several youths had been arrested in Enugu in 2026 for drug-related offences and were facing the consequences of criminal prosecution and possible imprisonment.
He explained that drug-related criminal records could undermine their prospects of securing decent employment and travelling abroad.
He consequently urged the participants to choose focus over drugs, skills over substance abuse and productive engagement over criminal activities.
He also encouraged them to report drug dealers confidentially, warning that politicians who distributed Indian hemp and alcohol to recruit youths for electoral violence were deliberately endangering their lives and future.
The sensitisation session ended with a passionate appeal to the youths to embrace the declaration: “Say no to drugs, no to thuggery and yes to a brighter tomorrow.”
In recognition of their commitment to the campaign, Edeoga subsequently declared Abakpa youths Anti-Drug Ambassadors, charging them to become advocates of a drug-free community.
Call for unity, youth registration
Beyond the issues of governance and security, Edeoga called for peaceful coexistence among youths from the various communities and neighbourhoods that make up Abakpa.
He urged young people from Nike, Ugbo Odogwu and Housing Estate to regard themselves as members of one family, warning against rivalry, cult clashes and other divisive tendencies.
He maintained that the NYC provided a common platform for collective advancement and that Abakpa should aspire to remain one of the most peaceful youth communities in Enugu State.
He also directed participants to register at the NYC desk established at the venue and submit their curriculum vitae for inclusion in the Abakpa Youth Employment Data Bank.
He explained that the initiative was designed to provide reliable information on the employment status, qualifications and skills of young people, thereby facilitating access to job opportunities, empowerment programmes, loans, business connections and government interventions.
According to him, registration would also strengthen the collective voice of Abakpa youths and provide useful data for development planning.
Dignitaries at the summit included the representative of Governor Peter Mbah, the Honourable Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, representatives of security agencies, NYC state executives, leaders of the Abakpa chapter and youth representatives from various communities.
The summit ended on an enthusiastic note, with participants chanting the solidarity slogan: “One Love, One Abakpa, One Future.”
EDITOR
Sam Udekwe is a journalist working in the News and Current Affairs department, Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) Enugu. He is well trained in all genres of journalistic venture.
Mr Sam read Mass Communication, graduating all with Distinction in National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma at IMT, Enugu and Madonna University, Okija, Anambra state, as well as M.Sc Mass Communication at National Open University of Nigeria.
He is the immediate past NUJ Chairman, Enugu state.
samowailo@gmail.com
