Deborah Akinyosoye
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Federal Ministry of Education have agreed on a compulsory drug integrity test for students of tertiary institutions and the review of the current secondary school curriculum to include drug education.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Wednesday, said the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, announced that the introduction of compulsory and random drug integrity tests for students in tertiary institutions to curb drug addiction in Nigerian higher institutions
The minister added that Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd), head of the NDLEA, proposed a three-part strategy to combat drug abuse: revising school drug education, introducing standalone prevention programs in secondary schools, and implementing a drug testing policy for tertiary institutions that includes new and returning students as well as random testing.
Marwa commended the minister for his proactive approach to issues in his ministry and highlighted the growing abuse of drugs among the youth. He declared that the fight against illicit drugs was for the souls of the Nigerian youth.
He described the drug scourge as a threat to national security and youth development, citing its links to criminal activities such as terrorism and banditry. According to him, the agency had arrested over 40,000 drug offenders and seized more than 5,500 metric tonnes of drugs in the past two years.
He explained: “The purpose of this visit is to seek collaboration with this esteemed ministry in our collective efforts towards drug control in Nigeria. Our focus will be on schools and educational institutions.
“We are fighting for the souls of our children. Without drugs, many criminal activities would not be possible,” he said.
In his response, the Minister commended Marwa for his steadfastness and commitment to serving Nigeria.
”Since I met him 30 years ago, he’s still serving the country. And you could see the passion in the way that he laid out the problems in the country and what he wanted us to do. And as he was talking, I made a note, and it was as if I had seen his prepared comments. Thank you so much for making this visit.”
Alausa noted that the drug scourge is a huge problem that must be tackled head-on.