‘How MTN ASAP Training Has Improved Knowledge Of Nigerian Teachers And Students’ – UNODC

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has revealed that the MTN ASAP Unplugged Prevention Programme has improved the knowledge of 80% of the teachers involved in the programme coordinated yearly to educate teachers and students on the right decisions to make when it comes to drug use.

Folusho Ajayi-Adelekan, UNODC’s National Programme Officer, disclosed this at the MTN ASAP Quiz Competition held in Abuja on Friday, June 23, 2023.

“In a recent evaluation of Unplugged in Nigeria, we found out that about 80% of teachers reported an improvement in knowledge, teaching skills, and relations with students due to the programme. More than 75% of the students declared that the programme changed their way of seeing themselves and improved their relationship with mates and teachers. About 95% of students reported an increase in knowledge of the consequences of substance use.”

Ajayi-Adelekan added that this impact was beyond preventing drug use, but it has helped the agency successfully carry out the school-based drug prevention programme in a way that empowers the children.

“Overall students declared unplugged, educative, informative, helpful, impacting on change, and suggested the programme be spread to other schools,” she added.

For this year’s MTN ASAP, the unplugged programme conducted from June 5-8, 2023, was implemented in 110 Federal Government Colleges in Nigeria and 278 Public Schools, with a new training slated from July 3-8, 2023.

The National Programme Officer commended MTN for their efforts and foresight in partnering with UNODC, NDLEA, and The Federal Ministry of Education and supporting the implementation of the Unplugged programme in several states.

“MTN Foundation has been an amazing partner since 2019 when they started implementing ASAP, and I just want to say a big thank you to them. They’ve really paved the way for other private organisations to take up this fight, it’s everyone’s fight.”

MTN ASAP has been held yearly since 2019 to commemorate the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (World Drug Day) on June 26.

Related Topics

• Folusho Ajayi-Adelekan
• MTN ASAP
• UNODC