- NDLEA stressed that it never appointed Naira Marley as its ambassador
- The agency said recent engagement with Naira Marley was to implore the music star to use his talent to dissuade youths from substance abuse
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, says reports that it appointed music star Afeez Adeshina Fashola, known as Naira Marley, as its ambassador are false.
The ageny denied the reports on Saturday in a statement issued by Femi Babafemi, its Director, Media and Advocacy at NDLEA.
Babafemi said NDLEA’s recent engagement with Naira Marley was to implore the music star to use his talent to dissuade youths from substance abuse.
“This clarification became necessary following continued misrepresentation of the purpose of the visit, especially on online platforms where some reports suggest that the British-Nigerian singer was appointed as an NDLEA Ambassador.
“This is a misleading and absolute falsehood as the pictures of the visit and the short video containing Naira Marley’s advocacy message to his followers were properly captioned and shared by the Agency without suggesting such an appointment.
“The decision by the Agency to encourage Naira Marley, with over seven million followers, half the population of those who abuse drugs in Nigeria, to use his platform to share anti-substance abuse messages against using same to promote and glamourise drug abuse with the dire consequence of misleading millions of Nigerian youths into their peril, is to create a balance between our drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts”.
Naira Marley had on Thursday, 17 August, 2023, led his team members on a visit to the National Headquarters NDLEA in Abuja to express his preparedness to join the fight against drug abuse in the country.
Discussion about this post