18/03/2026
Last month, I was honoured to join an array of renowned professionals across Africa to speak on the use of drugs on the continent during The Toyin Falola Interviews ().
When I received the invitation letter from Prof. Toyin Falola of the University of Austin, Texas–a globally renowned historian–my heart listened to the weight of the moment after seeing those who sat there before me, and how engaging the conversations were.
I asked myself, “What will you bring?”
I knew then that I would come armed with stories drawn from lived experience, grounded in fifteen years of brutal addiction to serve not as a badge, but as a bridge others may cross to find their way back.
I sought counsel from my mentor () who is an expert on global communications, and I found preparation that I remain deeply grateful for to this day. So I joined the interview with my head held high, spirit alert, ready for whatever came.
And when I spoke, I spoke of more than substances because what we call drugs is often just the symptom of deeper silences.
I spoke of wounds, of young people caught between hunger and hope, of unemployment that breeds quiet despair, of trauma that wears many faces, and of dignity that is often the first casualty.
I stressed that punishment alone does not mend the broken thread of addiction, but that recovery is built on structured support systems, communities that hold, and a purpose that restores.
Africa must invest more in prevention, mental health, accessible treatment, and reintegration while challenging stigma and remembering that behind every statistic is a face that is never beyond the reach of change.
