Christianity and Drug Abuse Prevention Among University Students in Kogi State

Drug abuse among Nigerian university students is a well-documented public health crisis, and the potential preventive role of religious faith and church community involvement has received increasing attention. This study investigates the relationship between Christian faith practice, church community support, and drug abuse prevention outcomes among university students in Kogi State, North Central Nigeria. A descriptive correlational design was adopted, with questionnaires administered to 200 students from Federal University Lokoja and Kogi State University, stratified across faculties and covering regular church attendees and non-attendees. The questionnaire assessed frequency of church attendance, depth of personal faith commitment, peer religious influence, and self-reported substance use including alcohol, cannabis, and prescription drug misuse. Results indicate that regular church attendance is associated with significantly lower rates of substance use (r = -0.41, p < 0.01). Personal faith commitment and prayer frequency are stronger predictors of non-use than attendance alone. Peer influence within Christian fellowship groups is identified as the most protective social factor. However, 28 percent of regular church attendees report hidden substance use, suggesting that social shame rather than genuine transformation may explain some reported non-use. The study concludes that Christian faith community involvement has meaningful drug prevention potential but requires trauma-informed pastoral support that addresses hidden use without stigmatisation. Campus ministry programmes in Kogi State should integrate drug awareness and peer support components. Keywords: drug abuse prevention, university students, Christian faith, Kogi State, church community