Deejays to sensitise youth against drugs abuse

Deejays Association of Nigeria (DJAN) wants to use its musical talent to educate the youth so as to prevent drugs abuse and other crimes in Nigeria

The National President of DJAN, Prince Christian Edeh, stated this when the association signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with three consorting firms in Abuja.

The firms are Emotions Brand House, Leadership Scorecard and 2GGS Impacts.

Edeh said that the association would unveil ‘Deejays Against Drugs (DAD)’ programme in partnership with with a consultant, 2GGS Impacts to sensitise Nigerian youths against drugs abuse and other vices.

He said the association would engage National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ministry of Health, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and security agencies in the implementation of the programme.

The DJAN president said, “when it comes to the teeming youth, almost 90 per cent of our members are below age of 40 and they can be classified as youths. We are utilising their age and their energy; that is the reason why we signed agreement with a consultant, 2GGS Impacts.

“We are going to specialise on bringing projects and programmes that will reengage the youth. Presently, we have a programme which is called “Deejays Against Drugs (DAD)’’. You know that we just signed the MoU, we will soon unfold the programme to ensure it comes on board.

“We are going to engage National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC and security agencies. So, DJAN is just like a new born baby today because we want to break out from our usual social media platforms.

“We want the media to know that we are around. We want the world to know that we are out to change the world because music changes the world. It is an industry that speaks not just the words but it speaks with rhyme and personality.

“This is because when youths are gathered, a deejay is the personality they are looking on to; deejay can stop the music and they will complain why deejay? and he will say stop, don’t do this and don’t do that.”

According to him, when the music is good, they will listen to that deejay because they want to dance more and enjoy more.

“So, deejay is that personality that can control a lot of vices and even change things to positive ones because he is charge of the event. That is why nobody should tore with any deejay and he must be well paid.

“This is because without deejay, there will be no event. You can do event without food, drinks, even without Master of Ceremony (MC) because MC is only coming to talk but deejay can assist when MC is not around and MC cannot assist when deejay is not around.

“So, we are the king of entertainment and I want the world to know it and note it, including the artists, we play their songs. We pay them stipend as royalty so that they will get somethings out of their intellectual property we are using.”

He said that deejays remained the ones driving the music, saying that “if we don’t play it, it is not going to be popular. So, everybody should begin to realise the importance of deejays in the creative industry.”

In his remarks, Mr Gibsen Ngoka, Team Leader, 2GGS Impacts, said his firm was in partnership with the DJAN to address the issue of drugs abuse through the instrument of music.

“We have been talking with DJAN sometime now, this is just to formalise everything.

“DAD is the programme that we want to use to prevent drugs abuse which its penetration is beyond the normal level that is expected of any society.

“So, we want to address that issue through the instrument of music. Deejays are the biggest hosts of events in this country.

“They can shape human behaviour and enhance behavioural change, that is why we want to use them to sensitise Nigerian youths to prevent drugs abuse and other vices in our society.”