Presidency Pledges ₦50M to Fight Social Vices in Schools

The Presidency has reaffirmed its commitment to combating social vices among Nigerian students, with the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, describing the mandate of the Special Committee on Campaign Against Social Vices in Secondary and Tertiary Institutions as “critical to the nation’s future.”

Gbajabiamila made the declaration on Thursday during a meeting with the committee, led by Chairman Professor Jerry Ugokwe, at the State House in Abuja. He emphasised that rising social vices among youths—including cultism, drug abuse, cybercrime, and examination malpractice—pose a growing national concern, warning that the future of the country hinges on deliberate and coordinated interventions.

“It takes a community to raise a child. It’s not just about the parents; it’s about the clergy, your neighbour, the teachers. We all stand in locus parentis for the children,” Gbajabiamila said. He added that moral re-orientation is essential to addressing these vices, stressing the strong link between law, morality, and societal growth.

Highlighting the federal government’s youth-focused policies, the Chief of Staff assured the committee of institutional support and encouraged innovative approaches tailored to evolving student realities. Drawing from his own experience of school engagements, he noted that direct interaction with students yields measurable positive outcomes.

Demonstrating personal commitment, Gbajabiamila announced a ₦50 million seed donation to support the committee, with ₦25 million to be released immediately. He also pledged sustained engagement through his office and promised to mobilise additional support from corporate organisations via Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, as well as explore budgetary provisions.

Professor Ugokwe expressed gratitude for the audience and Presidential backing, describing the committee’s establishment as a structured response to the moral and social challenges confronting students nationwide. He outlined the committee’s mandate, which includes policy formulation, stakeholder sensitisation, campus security improvements, and fostering discipline and responsible leadership among youths.

Since its inauguration, the committee has moved from policy to action, holding major engagements in Edo and Kwara States as part of a nationwide campaign. Ugokwe appealed for strategic backing and logistical support for a proposed grand national launch at the State House Conference Hall, promising transparency, measurable outcomes, and sustained stakeholder engagement.

Also present, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement, Comrade Sunday Asefon, highlighted the urgency of the intervention, citing a recent university student death linked to drug intoxication. He described the committee as a multi-stakeholder platform bringing together education authorities, religious leaders, and other actors to drive holistic value reorientation among students.

Asefon further disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Education has made a budgetary provision for the committee in the 2025 fiscal year, which he described as a useful starting point. Despite limited resources, he noted the committee has successfully conducted programmes in Edo and Kwara States and is planning a larger national engagement in Abuja.

Gbajabiamila warned that failure to guide and support youths could undermine the long-term gains of the government’s reforms, stressing that a whole-of-society approach is required. “We cannot sit back and do nothing and expect this country to grow or develop if we do not start from the foundation,” he said, urging teachers, parents, religious leaders, and communities to collaborate closely.

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The meeting underscored the administration’s focus on youth development, moral re-orientation, and nation-building, positioning the Special Committee as a pivotal instrument in fostering responsible, disciplined, and value-driven students across Nigeria.

With the federal government’s backing and the ₦50 million seed funding, the committee is poised to expand its initiatives, strengthen institutional partnerships, and launch a coordinated national campaign against social vices in secondary and tertiary institutions.