NDLEA UNVEILS CLEAN BEAT 91.5FM TO COUNTER DRUG CULTURE AMONG NIGERIAN YOUTHS

NDLEA UNVEILS CLEAN BEAT 91.5FM TO COUNTER DRUG CULTURE AMONG NIGERIAN YOUTHS 

By Jennifer Nwosu 

Nigeria’s anti-narcotics agency is expanding its' campaign beyond arrests and seizures into the battle for public consciousness, launching a dedicated radio station aimed at countering what officials describe as the growing normalization of substance abuse among young people.

In a statement released by the Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency announced the official commissioning of Clean Beat 91.5FM in Abuja. The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig General Mohamed Buba Marwa(Rtd), said the station was conceived as a strategic platform to confront the toxic pop-culture that increasingly glamorizes illicit drug use and presents addiction as a lifestyle trend among youths.

Speaking at the launch, General Marwa argued that while enforcement remains essential, lasting victories against drug abuse can only come through education and prevention. He said the station would amplify stories of recovery, promote healthy living and provide what he described as accurate, life saving information capable of reshaping public attitudes toward narcotics.

Brig.General Marwa(Rtd)declared that through the chanel, it was a way of amplifying hope and he warned that failure to control the cultural narrative surrounding drugs could deepen insecurity, weaken productivity and endanger the country’s future workforce. According to him, Clean Beat 91.5FM represents a proactive shift in NDLEA’s strategy, moving beyond reactive law enforcement toward long term social reorientation.

The NDLEA boss also credited the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Office of the National Security Adviser, the National Broadcasting Commission and international partners for supporting the project. He urged Nigerian youths to see the station as their own platform and become ambassadors of a drug-free culture.

Representing the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Cheikh Ousmane Toure through Dr. Akanidomo Ibanga, praised the initiative as an innovative and people-centered approach that complements enforcement with advocacy and public dialogue. He noted that the platform aligns with Nigeria’s National Drug Control Master Plan and reinforces a balanced public health and security response to drug abuse.

Similarly, the Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Charles Ebuebu, described the station as more than a media outlet, calling it a strategic instrument for national orientation and behavioural change. He stressed that protecting young Nigerians from substance abuse should be viewed as a national development priority, not merely a law enforcement responsibility.

Also lending support to the initiative, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Lanre Issa-Onilu, represented by Bala Musa, said the station would strengthen public enlightenment and encourage positive social values across communities.