Esther Naawere, the 2025 TV3 Ghana Most Beautiful representative for the Upper West Region, on Thursday, June 25, launched “Save the Future,” an anti-drug campaign organized by her foundation, Naawere’s New Dawn Impact. The event took place at Wa Senior High School’s assembly hall and brought together senior high schools across the Wa Municipality for a spirited debate and public education on drug abuse.
Four schools — Wa Senior High School, Wa Secondary Technical Institute, Jamiat Islamic Girls SHS and St Louis Rutten SHS — competed in debates that tackled contentious issues including the legalization of marijuana production in Ghana and whether students caught using drugs in school should be expelled. Wa SHS won the competition, with Wa Sec Tech second, St Louis Rutten third, and Jamiat Islamic Girls fourth.
The program drew officials from the Upper West Regional Minister’s office, the Municipal Education Directorate, the Narcotics Control Commission and the Food and Drugs Authority, as well as other agencies engaged in the fight against illicit substances.
In her keynote, Naawere urged young people to resist peer pressure and avoid experimenting with drugs. She warned that what may start as a stimulant to stay awake for studying can quickly destroy lives, and encouraged students struggling with substance abuse to seek help from parents, teachers — or to contact her foundation for support.
Alhaji Mumuni Abass, coordinator for second-cycle institutions at the Wa Municipal Education Directorate, said reports of drug use among students are alarming and appealed to learners not to give drugs a foothold in their lives.
Justin Abesig, Wa Municipal Commander for the Narcotics Control Commission, said drug testing has been added to medical screening for applicants to security services. He revealed that of roughly 6,000 applicants in the Upper West Region, about 4,000 tested drug-free. Abesig warned that the commission now uses sophisticated testing equipment and urged job seekers to avoid experimenting with drugs.
Kelvin Daafaare Sukpaal, Upper West Regional Director of the Food and Drugs Authority, urged students to prioritise education and warned against illicit access to prescription drugs such as tramadol, which he said is being obtained through crooked channels and causing harm.
Naawere’s New Dawn Impact presented awards including branded exercise books, plaques, citations and bottled water from sponsors. Maxwell Maakuu, CEO of online marketing firm Dakuleda.com, donated a 32‑inch Mooved TV to the overall winning school, Wa SHS.
Naawere’s foundation plans to take the Save the Future campaign to the remaining ten districts of the Upper West Region.
