The Minister of Education, Olatunji Alausa, has expressed strong support for implementing compulsory and random drug integrity tests for students in higher institutions across Nigeria.
This came after a meeting in Abuja on Wednesday between Alausa and the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd), during which they deliberated on strategies to address the increasing rate of substance abuse among students.
According to a statement issued by the NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the Education Minister also gave his nod to a review of the secondary school curriculum to include updated drug education content.
He further committed to establishing a joint ministerial working group with the NDLEA to drive the initiative.
Babafemi revealed that Marwa proposed a three-tier plan comprising: revising school drug education content, launching dedicated drug prevention programmes in secondary schools, and enforcing drug testing policies at the tertiary level, targeting new and returning students as well as conducting random checks.
Describing the drug epidemic as a major risk to national security and youth development, Marwa highlighted its links to crimes such as terrorism and armed banditry.
He disclosed, “We are fighting for the souls of our children. Without drugs, many criminal activities would not be possible.”
He also mentioned that the agency had made over 40,000 arrests and seized upwards of 5,500 metric tons of drugs in the last two years.
In response, Alausa underscored the urgency of the problem, saying, “When the youths get into drugs, they won’t go to school, and even when they go to school, they are not getting a functional education. And at the end of the day, what happens? Their level of critical thinking is lower.
“Their ability to make informed decisions in the later part of their life becomes significantly reduced. So, they become unemployable. And what happens? You now have that vicious cycle. They’re not functional.”
He affirmed the Ministry’s resolve to introduce drug tests in universities, stating, “You also said something very important about the drug test policy in tertiary institutions. We will do it.
We have to do it. We do not have a choice. At least, we’ll start with tertiary institutions, for their fresh and returning students as well as random testing.”
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Alausa announced the establishment of a Substance Use Prevention Unit within the Ministry and confirmed ongoing efforts to revise the secondary school curriculum.
He noted, “I would suggest we form a technical working group, an inter-ministerial working group between our ministry and NDLEA. As a result, I would also like to create a Substance Use Prevention Unit in the ministry.
“We’re reviewing the curriculum now for secondary school. And that’s why I’ve asked the director of Senior Secondary School to come, to be here and then we find a way to cascade it down to primary school. We need to incorporate both primary and secondary schools into their curriculum. But the one for secondary school, we can definitely do that now. We’re currently developing their new curriculum.
“Also, on the stand-alone school programmes, I agree with you fully. We should also design ongoing programmes in our schools. That we can roll out, and cascade down.”
He further pledged to collaborate with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) in supporting the NDLEA Academy in Jos.
