TheCable

Building Nations Initiative (BNI), a youth-focused organisation in Nigeria, hosted teenagers at the University of Ibadan Faculty of Pharmacy to educate teenagers about the demerits of drug abuse and misuse. 

According to a 2018 report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), one in seven persons aged 15-64 years in Nigeria had used a drug (other than tobacco and alcohol) in the past year.

BNI says the increasing prevalence of drug abuse in Nigeria has called for a need to create awareness about the adverse effects of drug abuse and misuse among young people and indeed, the entire populace.

This team also added that it was motivated by the looming reality, alongside recent bans of opiods and other abused drugs by the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

The teenagers under the auspices of BNI’s Life Preparatory Academy for Development (LifePAD) engaged in a learning visit to the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ibadan. 

LifePAD is a free two-week values learning and life skills summer academy for teenagers aged 11-17.

Faculty members addressing the teenagers

As a part of this year’s summer program, BNI in partnership with the Pharmacy Leadership Club, introduced the teenagers to the processes of drug development, production, and administration, while sensitizing them on drug abuse. 

The learning visit started with a welcome meeting with the principal officers of the faculty.

Oluwatoyin Odeku, dean of the faculty, welcomed the teenagers to the faculty, and gave a detailed orientation on Pharmacy profession and it role in the society.

The meeting had in attendance other academics like HOD Pharmacognosy, HOD Clinical Pharmacy, HOD Industrial Pharmacy and Pharmaceutics, HOD Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

After the welcome meeting, the teenagers had a tour to all the departmental laboratories in the Faculty. They were introduced to the teens to the world of pharmaceutical care during their tour to the Department of Clinical Pharmacy.

During their tour to the Department of Industrial Pharmacy and Dispensing laboratory, they were shown how drugs are formulated.

The layman knows that paracetamol could come as a tablet, syrup or suspension. The Pharmacist knows why and which is best in which instance or for which patient.

A cross-section of the teenagers during the visit

At Pharmacology, Abiodun introduced them to how drugs are tested in laboratory mammals before they are officially introduced into the market.

Pharmacology basically involves the actions of a drug in the body and vice versa.

Moody showed them various plants in the Department of Pharmacognosy and how drugs are extracted from them and other natural resources. Many of the teens got excited about the power of indigenous Nigerian plants and their pharmaceutical benefits.

By exposing them to the processes of drug development, production, administration and therapy, through the exciting and informative tour of all the laboratories in the Faculty of Pharmacy, the teenagers were able to get a clearer understanding of how powerful drug is and how harmful it could be if it is abused or used without prescription.

The Teens and faculty members

Not only did they understand the potency of a drug, but they were also able to appreciate the pharmacy profession, especially for the purpose of choosing a career path. 

After the tour, the teens also participated in a workshop on youth drug abuse facilitated by Olayinka Kotila of the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry.