CRISA Holds 15th Biennial International Conference on Drugs, Alcohol, Society in Africa
By Dennis Udoma, Uyo
Center for Research and Information on Substance Abuse (CRISA) 15th Biennial International Conference on Drugs, Alcohol and Society in Africa was held in Abuja.
CRISA Resource Person on Media, Mr. Anietie Etteyit disclosed this in an electronic mail to our correspondent in Uyo on Thursday.
The theme for this year’s conference was “Improving Access to Treatment for Substance Disorders; Emerging Strategies and Persistent Challenges”.
Director of Specialist Hospital Services, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Jimoh Salaudeen chaired the opening ceremony, while the President of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), Vienna, Austria, Prof. Jalal Toafeek was the keynote speaker.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) was billed to attend.
The biennial international conference, Mr Etteyit said, is one of the major contributions of CRISA which began the conference series in Jos, Nigeria since 1991, and is targeted at creating awareness on the menacing infestation of drugs and alcohol amongst the youth and adult populations in African countries.
Another factor is the creeping problem of drugs misuse and abuse within Africa’s populace, especially Nigeria, where CRISA has as its base; as issues around the drugs menace were recently brought to the fore following the release of Nigeria’s pioneer Drug survey report in 2018.
The conference was supported by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Commission) Secretariat, Cannabis Africana, the African Union (AU), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
CRISA, has been at the forefront of research organisations working tirelessly to create awareness in Nigeria and Africa, on the drugs problems, since its establishment in 1990, attracting experts from across the globe and encouraging local research on the drugs menace.
More than 60 research papers were presented, majority of them being the works of Nigerian researchers, highlighting the Nigerian situation, while more than 150 experts from several countries played an active part in the conference.
Director of CRISA and Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), Prof Isidore Obot and Secretary of the LOC, Mr Nsidibe Essien in a joint statement indicated that, Prof. Gernot Klantschnig of the University of Bristol, Prof. James Girei of the Virginia Military Institute, USA and Prof. Elijah Okebukola of Nassarawa State University, Keffi among other experts, will chaired the different panels at the conference in Abuja.
