Students Warned Against Illicit Drug Use At 7th National Inter-School Music Competition

BENJAMIN OMOIKE

Students from various schools in Lagos were, on Wednesday, warned against the use of illicit drugs as it has the potential of damaging their health and future.

The occasion was the Grand Finale of the 2022  7th National Inter-School Music competition and Academic Award, NISMCAA,  with the theme: ‘Say No To Drugs’ held at the NUT Pavilion, in Alausa, Ikeja.

Among the schools that participated in the final competition were Honeyland School, Flourescent School, Imperial Lights College, Kunlop Royal College and Westminster College.

Speaking on the theme for this year’s competition, the Executive Director of NISMCAA, Olubunmi  Adebowale, who represented the Founder and President, Olushola Adebowale, said the aim of the competition was to use school music as a moral tool against vices in the society.

She added that the competition which started in 2009 among public and private secondary schools, was to give students an opportunity to showcase their talent and get discovered, with the introduction of the academic award as a way of rewarding academic excellence in schools, using music as a tool.

Olubunmi further said students who participated in the past had gotten scholarship, endorsement and opportunity to perform at major music concerts.

“This theme ‘Say No To Drugs’ was chosen so as to address and seek a solution to the illicit drug usage by the Nigerian youth,” she said.

The Project Coordinator, Adetokunbo Kashim, said the competition was put together “to let the world know we have to say no to drug abuse.”

“The children we train at home are the ones we give back to society. We want the students to know the abuse of drugs is dangerous to their health. A lot of youths are on drugs which renders them useless. Some parents even use it and send their children to buy it for them. Parents should be involved in the upbringing of their children so that they will not deviate. So we decided to use music to convey the right message,” she said.

Tokunbo further urged the government to invest in music lessons in public schools. She lamented non-availability of music teachers in public schools, and called for government collaboration in the competition.

Imperial Lights College emerged the winner of this year’s competition in the Schools Group Category with a cash prize of N150,000,while the first and second runner-up won N100,000 and N75,000 respectively.

 Adesola Olumide of Honeyland School came first in the Individual Student Category mimicking late Fela Anikulapo dance performance.