This study undertook a philosophical analysis of African traditional moral values as a framework for curbing drug abuse and promoting agricultural crop investment and rural development in Southeast Nigeria, motivated by the prevalence of youth drug abuse and its implications for productive agricultural engagement and rural transformation. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with a sample of 410 respondents. Data were analysed using frequency counts, percentages, means, standard deviation, and multiple-response analysis, guided philosophically by African communitarianism, virtue ethics, Ubuntu, communal responsibility, and the African conception of the common good. Respondents strongly associated values such as respect for elders, communalism, honesty, self-discipline, responsibility, hard work, cooperation, and respect for human dignity with responsible conduct, identifying these values as resources for preventing drug addiction and promoting productive youth engagement, particularly through self-control, parental guidance, avoidance of bad company, and respect for social institutions (mean = 3.47, SD = 0.72). Hard work, self-discipline, communal responsibility, honesty, cooperation, and respect for authority were similarly rated important for agricultural investment and rural development. Drug abuse was found to adversely affect youths’ interest in farming, farm produce, agricultural investment, labour reliability, household income, and overall development (grand mean = 3.46, SD = 0.72). Traditional institutions, families, elders, age-grade organisations, town unions, and community leaders were identified as viable channels for mobilizing moral values and youth engagement. The study concludes that African traditional morality offers a viable philosophical framework for jointly addressing drug-abuse prevention, agricultural investment, and rural development, and recommends integrating positive traditional moral values into youth development, agricultural empowerment, counselling, and community moral regeneration efforts.