Actress and evangelist Tonto Dikeh has raised fresh alarm over rising drug addiction among young Nigerians, calling it one of the biggest killers of the current generation and urging a shift from condemnation to compassion.
In an Instagram post shared on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, Dikeh said the problem is destroying lives, breaking families and stealing futures.
“Drug addiction is becoming one of the biggest killers of this generation, destroying lives, breaking families, and stealing the future of our young people,” she wrote.
She noted that addiction often begins with curiosity, peer pressure or an attempt to escape pain, then hardens into dependence that costs health, dreams, relationships and lives.
“Many young people are losing their health, dreams, relationships, and even their lives to substance abuse. The sad truth is that drug addiction doesn’t destroy only the person involved; it also affects families, communities, and society as a whole,” she said.
Dikeh called for a change in approach.
“We must stop treating addiction merely as a moral failure and start addressing it through awareness, prevention, compassion, and access to proper treatment. Parents, schools, religious leaders, governments, and young people all have a role to play.”
She closed with a direct appeal:
“Let’s educate our generation before addiction takes more lives. Let’s encourage those struggling with substance use to seek help rather than condemn them. Our generation deserves a future, not an early grave. Say no to drug abuse. Choose life. Choose hope. Choose a better future.”
The message lands against the backdrop of Dikeh’s own public testimony. In October she wrote that she had walked the same road and that substances never removed the pain. Earlier, in December 2025 at Streams of Joy International Church, she told the congregation she began smoking at 13 and battled the habit for about 27 years, alongside alcohol and other struggles, before finding peace through faith.