Ex President Obasanjo Reveals Near-Addiction to Drugs, Urges Youth to Avoid Abuse

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has shared a personal account of how he almost became a drug addict during his youth.

Speaking in Abeokuta over the weekend at the second edition of the ‘Fly Above The High’ anti-drug campaign conference organized by the Recovery Advocacy Network, Obasanjo recounted how smoking in his younger years led to chronic coughing and nearly resulted in addiction.

The former president expressed concern over the rising levels of drug abuse in Nigeria and across West Africa, urging Nigerian students and young people to avoid abusing psychoactive substances, emphasizing that drugs only lead to destruction, not enhancement.

“If I had persisted, I could have become addicted. Once you get involved, it is difficult to get out,” Obasanjo said. “There’s nothing drug can do for you except destruction.”

He also highlighted the worsening drug problem in West Africa, stating that the region had become a major center for drug consumption over the past decade, a situation that has only worsened.

Obasanjo called for an end to the stigmatization of those struggling with addiction, urging individuals already affected by drug abuse to seek help.