The warning signs can appear long before a person enters treatment. Dr Mohammed Audu says Nigeria needs to build a system that identifies distress earlier rather than waiting for a crisis.
By Gami Tadanyigbe
A young person begins withdrawing from family and friends. Academic performance declines. Participation in activities once enjoyed gradually stops. Their social circle changes, they become increasingly secretive, and their behaviour becomes unpredictable.
At first, none of these signs may appear serious enough to warrant intervention. But over time, the situation can deteriorate.
By the time a person reaches a rehabilitation centre, the underlying problem may have been developing for months or even years.
For Dr Mohammed Audu, this is one of the reasons Nigeria needs to rethink its approach to mental health and substance use disorders. The focus, he argues, cannot be limited to treatment after a crisis has emerged; it must begin much earlier, with prevention, awareness and early identification.
“DMA Foundation was established with the belief that recovery should be viewed as a continuum: prevention, early identification, assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, family involvement, skills development, relapse prevention and sustainable reintegration,” Audu says.
That continuum is becoming increasingly important as Nigeria confronts the evolving challenge of substance use and related mental health concerns.
In June 2026, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to tackling substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking through evidence-based and innovative interventions.
A month later, the Federal Government again reaffirmed its commitment to preventing illicit drug use while expanding access to treatment and rehabilitation.
The message is increasingly clear: prevention, treatment and enforcement must work together.
But prevention cannot simply mean telling young people to “say no” to drugs. It must also involve understanding vulnerability, recognising early warning signs, reducing risk factors and ensuring that people know where to seek appropriate help.
Understanding the Person Behind the Problem
Audu’s professional interest in mental health and substance use has been shaped by questions about human behaviour.
Why does someone continue using a substance despite the consequences? Why does an individual become increasingly aggressive, withdrawn or hopeless? Why do some people recover while others repeatedly relapse?
For Audu, answering these questions requires understanding the whole person — their history, relationships, environment, physical health, psychological wellbeing and social circumstances.
This informs his philosophy of care, which he describes as person-centred, evidence-informed, culturally sensitive and recovery-oriented.
It is also why he cautions against viewing mental health or addiction through a single lens.
Financial pressure can contribute to psychological distress. Academic pressure can affect wellbeing. Unemployment, family conflict and relationship difficulties can also contribute to distress.
However, none of these factors automatically causes addiction.
Substance use disorders are multifactorial, and prevention efforts must therefore avoid simplistic explanations or approaches that stigmatise people experiencing difficulties.
The objective is not to label every young person going through a difficult period. Rather, it is to ensure that those who are struggling have access to appropriate support before their difficulties become more severe.
Recognising the Warning Signs
The warning signs are often subtle.
They may include persistent withdrawal, declining academic or work performance, absenteeism, sudden behavioural changes, irritability, loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities, changes in sleep patterns, neglect of responsibilities, secrecy and deteriorating relationships.
Audu is careful to emphasise that none of these signs, on its own, proves that a person has a mental health or substance use disorder.
They are signals that should encourage attention, communication and, where necessary, professional assessment.
This distinction is particularly important for parents, teachers and caregivers.
A sudden change in behaviour should not automatically result in punishment. Instead, it can provide an opportunity for conversation and early support.
“Families should not wait for the situation to become catastrophic,” Audu says.
Early professional assessment can help distinguish between ordinary periods of difficulty and problems that require clinical intervention. It can also help families understand the appropriate form of support.
For schools, early intervention could mean stronger counselling services, mental health awareness programmes and clear referral pathways.
For employers, it could involve confidential employee support mechanisms and workplace mental health initiatives.
For communities, it means reducing the stigma associated with seeking help.
And for the healthcare system, it means bringing mental health services closer to the people who need them.
From Crisis Response to Prevention
This last point is particularly important in Nigeria, where access to mental health services remains a critical component of the broader healthcare challenge.
In July 2026, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare announced plans to establish a Brain Health Desk under the National Mental Health Programme and commence the development of the country’s first National Brain Health Agenda.
According to the Ministry, the initiative is expected to strengthen prevention, diagnosis, treatment and long-term care.
The direction aligns with the concept of a continuum of care.
Prevention cannot exist separately from treatment. Treatment cannot exist separately from rehabilitation. Rehabilitation cannot exist separately from aftercare. And recovery cannot exist separately from the environment to which a person eventually returns.
This is why the DMA Foundation’s approach extends beyond treatment to include psychotherapy, counselling, psychosocial rehabilitation, relapse prevention, family support and reintegration.
The objective is to close the gaps between the different stages of care.
Those gaps can be costly.
Someone may recognise that they have a problem but have no idea where to seek help. A family may know that intervention is needed but delay because of stigma or fear. Another person may successfully complete treatment but return to an environment where there is little support for maintaining recovery.
Without continuity of care, the cycle can repeat itself.
Early Intervention Is a Systems Responsibility
Early intervention is therefore more than a clinical principle; it is a systems issue.
A country that waits for a crisis before responding will continually find itself dealing with the most difficult and expensive stages of a problem.
By contrast, a country that becomes better at identifying difficulties early has more opportunities to intervene, provide support and prevent deterioration.
That requires collaboration among families, schools, healthcare professionals, government agencies, community leaders, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
It also requires a cultural shift in the way society understands mental health and substance use.
People should not have to reach the point of hospitalisation, severe addiction, family breakdown or complete social withdrawal before their concerns are taken seriously.
Early support should not be seen as a sign of weakness. Seeking help should not be treated as an admission of failure.
Audu puts it simply:
“Early intervention is not an admission of failure; it is an investment in recovery.”
The challenge before Nigeria is therefore not only how to rehabilitate people after they develop serious problems, but how to recognise vulnerability much earlier and connect individuals and families with the right support.
That is where the real work of prevention begins.
And if Nigeria can strengthen that first line of response — before crisis, before severe deterioration and before rehabilitation becomes the only available option — it can give more people a better chance of recovery, reintegration and a productive life.
About DMA Foundation
The Dr Mohammed Audu Foundation (DMA Foundation) is a Nigerian organisation focused on integrated mental health care, substance use disorder prevention, treatment and recovery.
Its services include substance use disorder treatment, psychotherapeutic and counselling care, mental health assessment and management, psychosocial rehabilitation, relapse prevention and recovery support, family counselling and reintegration support.
Contact:
Website: dmaimpact.org
Email: dmafoundation01@gmail.com
WhatsApp: 09131252197
LinkedIn: The DMA Foundation
Facebook: DMA Foundation
Instagram: DMA Foundation
