The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Federal Ministry of Education have jointly approved mandatory drug tests for students in tertiary institutions. The agreement also includes a strategic overhaul of the national curriculum to incorporate drug education at all levels.
The decision was reached during a high-level meeting in Abuja between NDLEA Chairman/CEO Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) and the Minister of Education, Prof. Maruf Olatunji Alausa.
Gen. Marwa stressed the urgency of the initiative, citing the direct link between substance abuse and the growing insecurity in Nigeria. “Drug use is at the heart of many of our national challenges—from terrorism to youth violence,” he warned. “We must fight for the future of our children.”
**Key Elements of the Initiative Include:**
* **Drug Testing in Universities**: Freshers, returning students, and random selections will undergo routine drug screening.
* **Curriculum Reform**: Updates to the secondary school syllabus to reflect emerging drug trends, including synthetic and psychoactive substances.
* **Standalone Drug Prevention Programmes**: Lectures, competitions, and parental involvement activities to run alongside formal education.
* **Public Awareness Campaigns**: Continuous sensitisation in schools nationwide, with a focus on prevention over punishment.
Gen. Marwa disclosed recent NDLEA achievements under President Bola Tinubu’s administration: over 40,000 drug-related arrests, nearly 9,000 convictions, and seizure of illicit substances valued at over ₦1 trillion. He also announced plans to build seven new rehabilitation centres and one model facility per geopolitical zone.
Education Minister Alausa welcomed the partnership and announced the immediate establishment of a Substance Use Prevention Unit within the ministry. He also revealed plans to:
Set up an inter-ministerial working group between the Education Ministry and NDLEA
Integrate drug education into both secondary and primary school curricula
Collaborate with UBEC and TETFund to support the NDLEA Academy in Jos
Roll out drug awareness and rehabilitation initiatives nationwide
“The drug crisis is a ticking time bomb. We must act now to save our youth from a future of hopelessness and criminality,” Alausa asserted.
The meeting ended with the formal launch of the new Substance Use Prevention Unit by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr. Abel Oluwamuyiwa Enitan, signaling the immediate rollout of the joint action plan.
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