Reclaiming Futures Nigeria

17/07/2026

"When communities understand trauma, they become powerful agents of prevention."

Every meaningful impact begins with the courage to believe that change is possible.

This week marks an important milestone in the journey of Reclaiming Futures Nigeria. It strengthens our conviction that purpose and perseverance can open doors and create opportunities to serve communities more effectively.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who has believed in our vision, supported our work, partnered with us, and walked this journey alongside us. Your trust and encouragement continue to inspire us.

The journey continues. The best is yet to come.

30/06/2026

We are honoured to be featured in ICUDDR's Author Spotlight.

This recognition underscores the importance of bridging prevention science and practice and advancing evidence-based approaches to substance use prevention.

We are grateful to ICUDDR for its leadership in advancing prevention science and fostering global collaboration and knowledge exchange.

24/06/2026

As the world prepares to observe the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (World Drug Day) under the theme, "The World Drug Problem: Persisting Issues, New Challenges, Innovative Responses," we are highlighting how practical, locally led approaches can strengthen substance use prevention and promote early intervention. At Reclaiming Futures Nigeria, the Dream-Catchers Sports Programme demonstrates how combining sports, mentorship, life skills, and positive youth engagement can empower young people to make healthier choices and build resilience.

A key feature of the programme is the integration of Brief Intervention within sports activities. This approach highlights how sports settings can serve as effective platforms for recognizing potential risk factors, initiating open conversations, providing guidance, and supporting healthier decisions and behaviors. By creating opportunities for early engagement, it helps address risks before they develop into more serious challenges. It is encouraging to see growing interest in this model, with organizations both within and outside Nigeria adapting elements of the approach to their own contexts.

We are encouraged by the growing recognition of this work and are honored that the Dream-Catchers Sports Programme was featured in ICUDDR's In Focus research series, providing an opportunity to share our experiences and learning with a global audience. This recognition not only highlights the value of prevention approaches rooted in local realities but also provides an opportunity to contribute to global conversations on addressing substance use challenges among young people. Such engagement reinforces the importance of collaboration, shared learning, and the exchange of promising practices in advancing prevention efforts globally.

As we move forward, we are committed to building on the lessons and insights generated through Dream-Catchers by exploring new approaches, strengthening the evidence base for sports-based prevention, and identifying pathways for broader adaptation and scale. As the world seeks new responses to persistent and emerging challenges, we remain committed to advancing practical, evidence-informed solutions that empower young people to thrive, realize their potential, and contribute to healthier, more resilient communities.

⚽ What if the football field could help prevent substance use among young people?

Our May In Focus article, "Turning Football into a Prevention Pathway," highlights an innovative community-based initiative in Kaduna State, Nigeria.

Written by Ejikeme McBishops Ogueji, Programme Director of Reclaiming Futures Nigeria, the article explores how sports environments can be used to recognize early substance use risks and connect adolescents with support.

Discover how football is creating opportunities for prevention, mentorship, and healthier futures for youth.

📖 Read the full article in our May Newsletter: https://icuddr.org/resource/may-2026-newsletter/

19/06/2026

Creating awareness. Empowering young people. Raising Dream-Catchers.

This is one of the many moments that inspire our work. Through substance use prevention education, we are helping young people make informed choices, pursue their dreams, and create brighter futures for themselves and their communities.

18/06/2026

Can a football pitch become a frontline for substance use prevention?

In many low resource communities, the answer is yes.

As we mark World Drug Day 2026, we are reminded that effective prevention requires more than awareness campaigns. It requires innovative, community based approaches that equip young people with the skills, support, and opportunities they need to thrive.

Young people facing limited opportunities, social pressures, and exposure to substance use need more than information about risks. They need opportunities to connect, belong, develop life skills, and build supportive relationships that strengthen their resilience.

At Dream Catchers Sports Programme, we are intentionally using football as a vehicle for substance use prevention, mentorship, life skills development, and positive youth development, meeting young people where they are and helping them build the confidence, resilience, and support systems needed to make healthy choices.

In settings where access to prevention services may be limited, football provides a practical, cost effective, and scalable platform for reaching young people with mentorship, positive peer connections, and opportunities for growth. A football pitch can become a safe space, a classroom for life skills, and a gateway to healthier choices and brighter futures.

These ideas are explored further in a recent article published in ICUDDR's In Focus: Addiction Research series, drawing on our work at Reclaiming Futures Nigeria and the Dream Catchers Sports Programme to demonstrate how football can be leveraged as an innovative platform for substance use prevention and positive youth development in low resource communities.

Sport has the power to unite communities, strengthen protective factors, inspire positive choices, and create pathways to success. Here in Nigeria, football icons such as Didier Drogba have demonstrated that the influence of sport extends far beyond the pitch, inspiring young people and creating opportunities for others to thrive.

Every training session is an opportunity to mentor.
Every match is an opportunity to build life skills.
Every young person reached is a future transformed.

Because when football becomes a platform for prevention and empowerment, the most important victories are not won on the pitch. They are won when young people choose healthy pathways, discover their potential, and build brighter futures.

18/06/2026

The true power of football isn't measured in goals scored, but in lives changed. Beyond the goals, trophies, and cheers lies its remarkable ability to protect, inspire, and transform young lives.

We're pleased to share a recent article published in ICUDDR's In Focus: Addiction Research series, which draws on our work at Reclaiming Futures Nigeria to explore how football can serve as a powerful pathway for substance use prevention and positive youth development.

A worthwhile read for anyone interested in prevention, youth empowerment, and the role of sport in driving meaningful social change.

How can sports become a powerful tool for substance use prevention? In our May In Focus article, "Turning Football into a Prevention Pathway," Ejikeme McBishops Ogueji, Programme Director of Reclaiming Futures Nigeria, shares how a community-based initiative in Kaduna State is using football to iden...

15/06/2026

What helps a young person make healthy choices?

Many would say information.

But if information alone were enough, every young person would already know what choices to make.

The reality is that knowledge, while important, is rarely enough.

Young people are more likely to thrive when they feel connected, valued, supported, and hopeful—at home, in school, and in their communities.

Prevention is not simply about helping young people avoid problems.

It is about helping them build lives they do not want to escape from.

At Dream-Catchers, we believe prevention is about creating the supportive environments and meaningful connections that enable young people to thrive.

Healthy choices grow in healthy environments.

Counting down to World Drug Day 2026.

13/06/2026

What happens when trauma-informed care meets community resilience?

Across Nigeria, many people are living with the effects of loss, insecurity, displacement, and other difficult experiences.

Yet these realities are often missing from conversations about substance use, prevention, and recovery.

Reclaiming Futures Nigeria, through THRIVE, has been working alongside communities to support healing and strengthen resilience.

As we approach the 2026 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, THRIVE is expanding its efforts to bring trauma-informed addiction interventions to more communities in Northern Nigeria.

More to come!

05/06/2026

Strong families are built on more than rules; they are built on relationships.

Children and young people need guidance, but they also need parents who listen, understand, and create space for honest conversations.

Trust opens doors that authority alone cannot.

If your child cannot talk to you, someone else will.

Let us intentionally build relationships that keep the door open for tomorrow's conversations.

04/06/2026

We cannot shield young people from every influence, but we can prepare them to respond wisely.