The Federal Government has thrown its weight behind the implementation of compulsory and random drug tests for students in Nigeria’s higher institutions, as part of a broader strategy to combat substance abuse in the education sector.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this on Wednesday during a meeting with the Chairman/CEO of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), in Abuja.
According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the minister also approved a review of the secondary school curriculum to include updated drug education and announced plans to form an inter-ministerial working group in collaboration with the NDLEA.
During the meeting, Marwa outlined a three-pronged strategy to fight drug abuse: updating drug education content in schools, introducing dedicated drug prevention programmes in secondary schools, and enforcing drug testing policies in universities — targeting both new and returning students through scheduled and random screenings.
Marwa emphasized that substance abuse poses a serious risk to national security and youth development, linking it to crimes such as terrorism and banditry.
“We are fighting for the souls of our children,” he said, noting that over 40,000 drug offenders had been arrested and 5,500 metric tonnes of drugs seized in the last two years.
Responding, Dr. Alausa underscored the urgent need for intervention. “When young people fall into drug use, they either drop out of school or fail to receive functional education. Their critical thinking is impaired, decision-making falters, and they become unemployable, creating a vicious cycle.
”On the proposed drug testing in universities, Alausa declared, “We will implement it. We must. We have no choice. We’ll begin with tertiary institutions, covering both fresh and returning students, and include random tests.”
He also announced the establishment of a Substance Use Prevention Unit within the Ministry of Education and confirmed that a revised drug education curriculum for secondary schools is in development, with plans to extend it to primary education.
Alausa further proposed the creation of a technical working group between the Ministry and the NDLEA to ensure effective execution and pledged to support existing NDLEA-led school programmes.
He also committed to collaborating with the Universal Basic Education Commission and TETFund to back the NDLEA Academy in Jos, Plateau State.
