Conference speakers

Dr. Abdullahi Abdulwahab Yakubu is a Consultant Addiction Psychiatrist and Academic Clinician at Ahmadu Bello University/Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria,  with extensive experience in clinical psychiatry, medical education, and global mental health. He has strong expertise in psychiatric service delivery, mental health systems strengthening, and interdisciplinary research spanning addiction psychiatry, public health, climate-related mental health, and psychosocial interventions.

Abukari Kwame, Ph.D., is a health communication, medical anthropology, global, and public health scholar. He explores the intersection between communication and healthcare access through diverse qualitative research approaches. Kwame's expertise also includes traditional medicine and healing practices, applied linguistics and language acquisition, and Indigenous studies. Over the past three years, he has further expanded his research focus into substance addiction, mental health, and homelessness through the socioecological and social determinants of health frameworks.

Peter is an addiction professional and mental health consultant with 20 years of experience in the prevention, treatment, and recovery of clients with substance use/mental disorders. An Internationally Certified Addiction and Mental Health Professional, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Counselling, Master of Science in Social Work and Doctorate in Medical and Public Health. He is the Executive Director of Sound Mind Initiative, a training provider for the Drug Advisory Plan (DAP). He has trained over 550 students in and outside of Nigeria.

Lydia Adza Ajayi is a community drug abuse prevention advocate in Ewu-Ekiti. She runs a grassroots non-governmental initiative that focuses on preventing substance use among young people through community awareness, school engagement,  and capacity building for parents and youth leaders. Her organisation serves as an approved training provider for ISSUP, supporting Evidence-based Prevention education at the community level. She is an ICAP-P and DDR professional, as well as a Recovery Support Ally.

Andy Partington, PhD, is the founder and International Director of Novō Communities and the author of Hope in Addiction: Understanding & Helping Those Caught in Its Grip. Andy has served as Director of Yeldall Manor, a residential treatment center in the UK, and as Director of Training at London School of Theology. Andy is also a member of the Secretariat of the International Substance Abuse and Addiction Coalition (ISAAC).

Dr. Carl Abelardo T. Antonio is Professor of Health Administration at the University of the Philippines Manila, and Chair of the Public Health Ethics Committee of the Department of Health, Republic of the Philippines. His interest includes public health management, infectious diseases, mental health conditions, public health ethics, and health research ethics. He completed his medical and public health degrees from the University of the Philippines Manila, and his PhD from the Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Dr.

Dr.Aramrattana is a retired Assistant Professor on Family Medicine at Chiang Mai University with a wide epidemiologic experience on illicit substance use research in Thailand, ranging from clinical trials, program evaluation, to implementation research on community-based drug treatment  and care programs. He has been a Director of the Northern Substance Abuse Center at Chiang Mai University, working closely with the Office of Narcotic Control Board (ONCB) since 2002.

Charisma Dixon has 20 years of experience in Special Education and Mental Health, and is a Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP) and Certified Substance Abuse Counselor. She holds a Master’s degree in Adult Education and specializes in trauma-informed care. As the founder of Crown & Fox LLC, she bridges the gap between clinical behavioral health and somatic healing. Charisma is a certified yoga instructor specializing in trauma-sensitive modalities, incorporating Solfeggio frequencies and breathwork to support neuroplasticity and emotional regulation in recovery.

Angela Elizabeth Bekederemo is an Addiction Specialist working with KARIS Family Development Initiative. She is a registered ISSUP International and Nigeria Member, with professional experience in alcohol and other drug use prevention, treatment, and strengthening recovery systems. She is actively involved in civil society advocacy on alcohol policy reform in Nigeria and contributes to multi-sectoral initiatives addressing substance use, child protection, and public health.

Marica Ferri is a public health and epidemiology specialist with more than 25 years of experience in drug policy, prevention, treatment and harm reduction. She has held senior roles at the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) (formerly EMCDDA), where she has led work on evidence-based practices, public health responses and international cooperation on drug-related issues. Ferri is also known for her research on addiction medicine, prevention and health systems, and has contributed extensively to scientific publications, training programmes and EU policy development.

Guido Prósperi Lewintre is an advanced Psychology student at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), Argentina, and the Youth Representative for the Americas for the International Society of Substance Use Professionals (ISSUP).

He currently works as a student supervisor at a bilingual school in Buenos Aires and has experience in the fields of mental health, education, and the prevention and management of problematic substance use.

Maxime Hennen is a Policy Officer at the European Crime Prevention Network (EUCPN). Since joining the EUCPN Secretariat in July 2025, he has been working on a toolkit focused on the recruitment of young people into organised crime, examining the factors that increase vulnerability and the prevention strategies that can reduce the risk of criminal involvement.

Ana Paula Hernández Romano is the National Coordinator of the National Dialogue for Peace, one of Mexico's largest multi-stakeholder peacebuilding initiatives. She holds a Ph.D. in Innovation and Social Responsibility and a Master's degree in Human Rights, and is a certified mediator trained in both New York and Uppsala. Her work brings together civil society organizations, faith-based institutions, academia, victims' groups, local governments, businesses, and communities to strengthen locally led peacebuilding efforts across Mexico.

Huseyin Djemil has worked in the drug and alcohol field for more than 30 years across treatment, recovery, commissioning, criminal justice and service leadership. He also brings lived experience of addiction and long-term recovery, having entered residential treatment in 1986. He is the author of The Recovery Journey Guide, which brings together personal experience, professional practice and reflections on recovery, hope and change.

Jo-Hanna Ivers is Associate Professor in Addiction in the School of Medicine at Trinity College Dublin, where she was appointed to Ireland's first addiction specific academic post. She is Director of Addiction Research Network Ireland and leads the Neurobehavioural Addiction Research Group. Her research sits at the intersection of public health and neuroscience and examines addiction and recovery across biological, behavioural, social and structural determinants.

Mr. Samuel Kwakye is the Mental Health Coordinator for Ga East Municipality and serves as an adjunct lecturer at Health Concern Ghana.  He holds an MPhil in Nursing from the University of Ghana, Legon, a BSc in Nursing from Central University and a Diploma in Mental Health Nursing (Distinction). He is also a trained lay counsellor specializing in marriage, family life, and sex therapy.

I am Ibrahim Babangida Lawal, the Chief Executive officer of Digital Data Clinic. A Nigerian Statistician from Katsina State currently serving as an expatriate with the Prevention of Drugs and rehabilitation agency in the Republic of Seychelles.  With a B.Sc. in Statistics from the University of Abuja and an M.Sc. in view, I bring rigorous quantitative expertise to public health and drug demand reduction initiatives as a member of ISSUP.

Brian Maila, BScHB, MBChB, MMED (Psychiatry), MSc (Addiction Studies), is a psychiatrist and PhD student in the SDSU–UC San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Interdisciplinary Research on Substance Use.

Ejikeme McBishops Ogueji is a substance use prevention practitioner advancing youth-centred and community-based prevention initiatives across Sub-Saharan Africa. His work focuses on strengthening prevention capacity, youth mentorship, and early risk identification in vulnerable communities, working at the intersection of prevention practice, youth development, and community-based prevention research.

Justus Otieno is a dedicated Pharmaceutical Technologist with over 15 years of professional experience in healthcare service delivery. He currently serves the Methadone Assisted Therapy (MAT) clinic in Shimo La Tewa Prison, where he specializes in the dispensing and management of methadone treatment for clients with opioid use disorder. Justus holds a degree in Community Health, which has strengthened his commitment to delivering patient-centered care and promoting preventive health strategies within vulnerable populations.

Fatima Abiola Popoola works with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and currently the Assistant Director, Sensitization in the Drug Demand Reduction Department of the Agency with office in Abuja. She is a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) trained addiction counselor and Master Trainer for Drug Prevention Treatment and Care (DPTC).

Brinda is a mental health practitioner, interventionist and early-career researcher, trained in clinical psychology and working for over four years with the Addictions & Related Research Group at Sangath, a leading mental health research organisation in India.Her research and clinical interests span the integration of sports and mental health, the use of participatory and creative methods in intervention development, and innovations in culturally informed approaches to addressing youth mental health and substance use concerns.

Rosita Dewi Eka Renel is an addiction counselor and civil servant at the National Narcotics Board of the Republic of Indonesia (BNN), working in a rehabilitation center providing both inpatient and outpatient services for substance use disorders. Her experience spans clinical practice, program coordination, and service development, with a focus on people in vulnerable situations, including children, adolescents, and women. Her work centers on strengthening organizational resilience in drug rehabilitation systems, particularly in crisis contexts.

Joseph Jusu Rogers, RN, BSN, is a Registered Nurse and addiction professional based in Monrovia, Liberia. He currently serves as the Officer-In-Charge at the National Rehabilitation Center for Drug and War-Affected Persons, where he oversees inpatient rehabilitation services for individuals affected by substance use disorders and related health conditions. With clinical experience in addiction treatment, nursing care, and recovery support, he works closely with multidisciplinary teams to promote evidence-informed treatment and reintegration of clients into society.

Tim is an experienced academic, educator and freelance consultant specialising in the law, social sciences and professional practice training landscape. With 25 years’ experience spanning the probation service, police, charity sector and academia, Tim combines real life experiences and stories with academic research to inspire and develop practitioners working in front line roles to better understand the people they seek to support.

Shabani Miraji Shabani is a Social Psychologist and Prevention Specialist at the Drug Control and Enforcement Authority (DCEA) under the Prime Minister’s Office of Tanzania. He holds a Bachelor of Education in Psychology from the University of Dar es Salaam and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Applied Social Psychology. Shabani is a Universal Prevention Curriculum (UPC) trainer under the Colombo Plan and serves as Youth and Students Leader in the ISSUP Tanzania Chapter.

Sofía Serú Campos is a psychologist with over 15 years’ experience in social, educational and community-based projects, particularly in contexts of vulnerability. Her work focuses on addiction prevention and support, mental health, and the care of young people, families and communities. She has coordinated interdisciplinary teams, training initiatives and local networks through organisations including PLAPA/CELAM, Familia Grande Hogar de Cristo and RECOR. Her work seeks to strengthen local capacities and build bridges between communities, institutions and public policy.

Cressida de Witte is the Secretary General at the World Federation Against Drugs (WFAD), one of the largest global networks of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and individuals focused on drug policy. Cressida oversees international development projects in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Dandy Yela is the WFAD-DRC Office Country Representative since 2020, when WFAD officially started operating in the DRC thanks to Swedish Cooperation funded project ‘Sober Youth- Healthier Communities: Transforming the Violent Youth in Kinshasa’. Before joining WFAD, Dandy has had a long professional career in senior management positions in international organisations and companies in Public Affairs, Public Relations, Corporate Communications, Public speaking, Marketing communications.