The Federal Government has approved the implementation of drug screening exercises across universities and other tertiary institutions as part of a broader strategy to curb substance abuse among students.
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This decision followed a high-level meeting between the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd), where both parties agreed on a joint response to the growing drug crisis in the education sector.
According to a statement on Wednesday, issued by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the minister endorsed the introduction of both compulsory and random drug tests for new and returning students in all higher institutions.
In addition to the testing policy, the ministry also approved a review of the current secondary school curriculum to integrate up-to-date drug education. An inter-ministerial working group will be established to collaborate with the NDLEA in developing and implementing these reforms.
NDLEA boss Marwa warned that drug abuse poses a serious threat to national security, linking it to crimes such as terrorism, kidnapping, and banditry. He revealed that over 40,000 drug offenders had been arrested and more than 5,500 metric tonnes of drugs seized by the agency in the past two years.
To strengthen preventive efforts, the education minister also announced the creation of a Substance Use Prevention Unit within the ministry. He further pledged to work with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to support the NDLEA Academy located in Jos, Plateau State.
