Kano to Rehabilitate 10,000 Drug Users in New Initiative

The Kano State Multi-Agency Taskforce on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, led by Chairman Muhuyi Rimin-Gado, announced plans to establish a rapid response center aimed at rehabilitating 10,000 drug users within one year. This initiative represents a shift from a punitive approach focused on arrest and prosecution to one that emphasizes detoxification, rehabilitation, skills acquisition, and economic empowerment.

Rimin-Gado stated that the taskforce, with state government support, will create business clusters for rehabilitated users to gain vocational skills in trades such as tailoring, shoemaking, and garment production. The program aims to address the links between drug abuse, unemployment, and violent crime, particularly among youth.

The taskforce's operations are designed to provide opportunities for recovery rather than punishment, and the initiative will also alleviate pressure on correctional facilities by offering alternatives to imprisonment for drug users needing treatment and reintegration.