Bada Akintunde-Johnson to join panel discussion on MTN ‘Drug Convos’ on Friday

The Country Manager, ViacomCBS Networks Africa, Bada Akintunde-Johnson, will join other panelists, on Friday, for the ‘Drug Convos’, an online event to discuss the drug abuse conundrum among Nigerian youths.

According to Akintunde-Johnson the virtual conversation is “another great opportunity to discuss solutions to the menace that substance abuse is in our society especially for our youth population.”

He will be part of a panel that is scheduled to speak on “Better Knowledge and Better Care: An Ally Against Drug Abuse.”

Other panelists include – Ag. Executive Secretary of MTN Foundation, Odunayo Sanya; Country Representative of UNODC, Oliver Stolpe; Director General of Christ Against Drug Abuse Ministry (CADAM) Dr. Adedokun Adedeji, Nollywood actors Dakore Egbuson and Ini Edo.

The event, organised by MTN Nigeria in partnership with The Netng, Business Day newspaper, music channel MTV Base and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), is in commemoration of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking also known as ‘World Drug Day’, observed annually on June 26 since 1989.

Nearly 15% of Nigeria’s adult population (around 14.3 million people) reported a “considerable level” of use of psychoactive drug substances, a 2019 survey by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Center for Research and Information on Substance Abuse with technical support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) revealed.

This is part of the reasons why MTN is hosting the ‘Drug Convos’ to collate bold ideas towards solving the drug and substance abuse issue among Nigerian youths.