The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Ibadan Northwest/Ibadan Southwest Federal Constituency, Hon. Samson Opeyemi Fatola, has pledged to sponsor a national “Youth and Minors Drug Rehabilitation and Diversion Bill” if elected to the National Assembly in 2027.
Fatola made the pledge in his Independence Day address, where he identified substance abuse among Nigerian youths and minors as a growing challenge requiring urgent legislative intervention.
He said his proposed legislation would seek to move Nigeria’s approach to youth drug abuse beyond punishment and towards rehabilitation, medical intervention and social reintegration.
According to Fatola, young people struggling with substance abuse should not automatically be treated as hardened criminals, particularly where drug dependency is involved.
“Drug addiction is not a moral failure; it is a public health crisis. It is a physiological trap,” he said.
Fatola said the proposed bill would mandate the Federal Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Youth Development to establish specialised rehabilitation and psychosocial centres for youths and minors across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He explained that the proposed facilities would be dedicated to younger people and separated from adult correctional populations, with treatment designed to address both substance dependency and the social factors contributing to addiction.
The PDP candidate also proposed the creation of a **Youth Rehabilitation and Diversion Fund**, which he said would help provide free rehabilitation services for families unable to afford treatment.
According to him, the proposed fund would be financed through a strategic levy on alcohol and luxury pharmaceutical imports.
Fatola further said the legislation would provide a diversion framework for minors and youths involved in simple drug-possession cases, directing them towards court-ordered rehabilitation, medical evaluation, vocational training and reintegration programmes rather than incarceration.
He said the approach would give affected young people an opportunity to recover and return to productive lives while reducing the long-term consequences of criminalising addiction.
“We cannot build a great, independent nation on the broken backs of an addicted generation,” Fatola said.
He added that tackling substance abuse among young Nigerians was directly connected to the country’s wider efforts to address insecurity, crime and social development.
Fatola also disclosed that he had prepared 121 bills which he intends to sponsor if elected to the National Assembly, describing them as part of a broader legislative agenda focused on addressing issues affecting Nigerians.
He said his proposed representation would prioritise long-term legislative solutions over tempora
