Education Minister Backs Mandatory Drug Tests For Tertiary Students

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has expressed full support for the implementation of mandatory and random drug integrity tests for students in tertiary institutions nationwide.

This decision follows a strategic meeting held 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 discussed urgent steps to tackle the growing issue of substance abuse among Nigerian students.

According to a statement by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, Dr. Alausa also approved a comprehensive review of the secondary school curriculum to integrate modern drug education and committed to establishing an inter-ministerial working group with the NDLEA to drive reforms.

Marwa proposed a three-part strategy:

1. Updating drug education content in school curricula,
2. Introducing dedicated drug prevention programmes at the secondary school level, and
3. Enforcing a drug testing policy for tertiary students — including new intakes, returning students, and random test rounds throughout the academic year.

Describing drug abuse as a national security threat, Marwa highlighted its links to crimes such as terrorism, banditry, and cultism. He disclosed that the NDLEA has arrested over 40,000 drug offenders and seized more than 5,500 metric tonnes of drugs over the past two years.

“We are fighting for the souls of our children,” he said. “Without drugs, many of the crimes we see today would not be possible.”

In response, Dr. Alausa emphasized the urgency of the crisis, stating that drug use among youths is eroding educational outcomes and harming long-term development.

“When young people are on drugs, they don’t go to school, and even when they do, they’re not getting a functional education,” he said. “Their critical thinking skills decline, their decision-making suffers, and they become unemployable — creating a vicious cycle of dysfunction.”

He affirmed that drug testing would be introduced for students in tertiary institutions: “We will do it. We don’t have a choice. At least we’ll start with tertiary institutions — for both fresh and returning students, as well as random testing throughout the year.”