The Federal Government is set to introduce compulsory drug testing for university students and revise the secondary school curriculum to include drug education, as part of a broader initiative to combat the growing problem of substance abuse among young Nigerians.
This was disclosed in a statement by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja.
According to the statement, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Federal Ministry of Education have reached an agreement to integrate drug education into secondary schools and enforce mandatory drug testing in tertiary institutions.
The agreement was reached during a high-level meeting between NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), and the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, in Abuja on Wednesday.
While highlighting the devastating effect of substance abuse on the country’s youthful population, Marwa emphasized that the fight against drugs is a fight for the nation’s future.
The fight against illicit drugs is a fight for the souls of the Nigerian youth,” he stated.
He noted that the collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education is crucial to addressing the drug crisis at its root in the school environment.
“The purpose of this visit is to seek collaboration with this esteemed ministry in our collective efforts towards drug control in Nigeria.
Our focus basically will be on schools and educational institutions. There are millions of our children that are under the supervision of this ministry, and it’s very critical. The drug scourge, as we all know, is very high in Nigeria,” he said.