Graduating students of the University of Abuja have been urged to reject drug abuse and embrace emerging economic opportunities in Nigeria’s evolving carbon market.
The chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, warned that illicit drug use could derail careers before they begin.
Speaking at the institution’s combined 29th and 30th convocation lecture, he described substance abuse as a growing crisis within tertiary institutions.
“Drug abuse is no longer confined to the streets; it has entered our lecture halls,” Marwa said, cautioning that criminal records linked to drug offences could permanently block graduates from professional careers in fields such as law, medicine, and engineering.
He highlighted a troubling rise in synthetic drug use, often driven by peer pressure and amplified through social media, adding that the problem is closely tied to cultism, violence, and declining academic performance.
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According to him, young people account for over 60 per cent of drug-related arrests nationwide, with exposure beginning at increasingly early ages.
Marwa urged graduates to make deliberate choices in a fast-changing, technology-driven world while calling for stronger collaboration among families, institutions, and government to combat the menace.
“Nigeria needs your talent, your energy, and most importantly, your sober mind,” he said,
In the same vein, the Director General of the National Council on Climate Change, Omotenioye Majekodunmi, outlined opportunities in carbon credits tied to tree planting and ecosystem restoration.
Addressing graduating students, Majekodunmi framed tree planting not merely as an environmental effort but as a strategic economic opportunity for Nigeria. She noted that carbon credits derived from afforestation and ecosystem restoration could attract climate finance, revitalise rural economies, and position the country competitively in global carbon markets.
She challenged students across disciplines to engage with emerging sectors such as carbon accounting, environmental law, sustainable finance, and data systems, arguing that the climate economy requires not just participation but systems thinking and innovation.
She said Nigeria could unlock significant climate finance, create jobs, and restore degraded landscapes if it builds credible systems around carbon markets. According to her, projects in agroforestry, mangrove restoration, and land rehabilitation could drive rural economic growth while strengthening resilience.