Veteran actor and TV host, Okey Bakassi, has raised concerns over the alarming rate of drug abuse and its consumption in Nigeria.
The stand-up comedian said a majority of illicit drugs consumers are Nigerian celebrities.
Bakassi made the assertion when he appeared as a guest on Emma Ugolee’s The Gist alongside African China and Sound Sultan.
“Conservatively 70% of Nigerian Celebrities are on some sort of substance today. They have gone ballistic. You hear a lot of names- SK, Kush, Loud, etc. the names come everyday and you’re struggling to keep up with the nomenclature of it.”
Bakassi, however, admitted that he also indulged in the act when he was younger, and noted that entertainers often take drugs to boost their creativity.
“I did some of it too. Creativity is part of it. [It enhances creativity] in the short term,” he said.
According to a mental health expert who was also on the show, “[Drugs and] alcohol [today] is the to-go guy and yet the most commonly abused substance.”
