The Federal Government has announced plans to begin mandatory and random drug testing for students in universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across the country. The initiative is part of a broader move to curb the rising cases of substance abuse among young people in Nigeria.
The decision followed a meeting in Abuja between the Minister of Education, Olatunji Alausa, and the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd). Both officials reached an agreement to introduce several joint measures to address drug abuse within the education sector.
According to a statement by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the new approach includes three key components: updating drug education in school curricula, launching special prevention programmes in secondary schools, and enforcing drug testing policies in tertiary institutions. The tests will apply to both new and returning students and will be carried out at random.
General Marwa described the drug crisis as a national emergency, stressing that the NDLEA has arrested over 40,000 individuals and confiscated more than 5,500 metric tons of illegal substances within two years. He emphasized the link between drug abuse and rising crime among the youth, calling the move a fight “for the souls of our children.”
Minister Alausa fully backed the drug testing initiative, stating it would be implemented across tertiary institutions without delay. He noted that drug use significantly affects students’ ability to perform academically, think critically, and secure meaningful employment after graduation.
To strengthen the plan, the Education Ministry will set up a dedicated Substance Use Prevention Unit. The government is also revising the secondary school curriculum to include up-to-date drug education, with efforts underway to extend the changes to primary schools.
The Minister pledged further collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) to support the NDLEA’s training academy in Jos.
