By Destiny Obinna
A US-based addiction and behavioural health specialist, Dr Daniel Ikpechukwu, will spotlight the intersection of youth substance addiction, offending and recovery at the 4th Vanguard Mental Health Summit in Lagos.
Ikpechukwu, a Substance Abuse/Behavioural Health Counselor, Alcohol/Drug Clinical Evaluator and Treatment Provider, and Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Georgia Gwinnett College, Georgia, USA, is among the experts billed to speak at the summit.
His presentation, titled “Youth Drug Addiction and the Justice System: Advancing Treatment, Rehabilitation and Recovery in Nigeria,” will examine how Nigeria can balance accountability with appropriate treatment and rehabilitation when substance use is linked to offending.
The summit, organised by Vanguard Media Limited, is scheduled for Friday, October 9, 2026, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
With the theme, “Advancing Youth Mental Health in Nigeria,” and sub-theme, “Mental Health in a Digital Age: Navigating Social Media, Technology and Wellbeing,” the summit will bring together mental health professionals, policymakers, researchers, advocates and other stakeholders to examine emerging challenges confronting young people.
Ikpechukwu’s session will focus on what happens when young people affected by substance dependence come into contact with law enforcement and the justice system.
At the heart of the discussion is the question of whether punishment alone can adequately address offending behaviour where substance dependence or associated mental health needs are significant factors.
He is expected to examine the psychological, behavioural and social factors that may contribute to substance use and harmful behaviour, as well as the role of early assessment, treatment and rehabilitation.
Nigeria’s national drug-use survey estimated that 14.4 per cent of people aged 15 to 64 — about 14.3 million people — had used a psychoactive substance in 2025, highlighting the scale of substance-use challenges and their potential consequences for education, employment, family relationships and health.
Rehabilitation can provide assessment, counselling, treatment and continuing support to help affected young people regain stability and reconnect with their families, education, work and communities.
However, access to care remains a challenge, with stigma, cost and limited availability of specialised services potentially preventing people from seeking or completing treatment.
For young people who come into contact with the authorities, substance dependence and related mental health needs may also go unidentified, creating a gap between contact with the justice system and access to appropriate care.
At the summit, Ikpechukwu will examine how early assessment, appropriate intervention and structured alternatives to incarceration in suitable cases could contribute to a more effective response, while recognising that public safety, the seriousness of an offence, individual circumstances and the law must remain central.
His participation is expected to bring an international clinical and behavioural-health perspective to the summit’s broader conversation on youth mental health.
The discussion will also examine how Nigeria can strengthen early identification, expand access to appropriate treatment and improve support for young people after treatment or release.
The summit is expected to deepen national conversation around building systems that combine accountability with rehabilitation and recovery for young people affected by substance dependence.
