The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has thrown his weight behind the implementation of compulsory and random drug integrity tests for students in tertiary institutions nationwide.
This decision followed a meeting on Wednesday in Abuja with the Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd), where both officials deliberated on strategies to combat rising substance abuse among students.
In a statement issued by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the minister also gave approval for a review of the existing secondary school curriculum to include updated drug education and committed to forming an inter-ministerial working group with the NDLEA.
According to Babafemi, Marwa proposed a three-pronged strategy: updating drug education content in schools, launching stand-alone drug abuse prevention programmes in secondary schools, and implementing drug testing policies in tertiary institutions for new students, returning students, and via random selection.
Marwa described drug abuse as “a threat to national security and youth development,” linking it to criminal acts like terrorism and banditry. He revealed that the NDLEA had arrested over 40,000 drug offenders and seized more than 5,500 metric tonnes of drugs in just two years.
“We are fighting for the souls of our children. Without drugs, many criminal activities would not be possible,” Marwa asserted.
In response, Alausa acknowledged the severity of the issue, stating, “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.”
“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 confirmed that drug tests would be conducted for both fresh and returning students in tertiary institutions, saying, “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.”
Alausa also announced plans to establish a Substance Use Prevention Unit within the ministry and emphasized ongoing efforts to revise the secondary school curriculum.
“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,” he said.
“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 do that now. We’re currently developing their new curriculum.”
Backing Marwa’s suggestion, he added, “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.”
The minister also pledged collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to support the NDLEA Academy in Jos, Plateau State.