FRANK ENEWAJI OGWUONUONU
Drug abuse is a global problem and that is why every nation is out to control it. Drugs are produced by companies or individuals to serve the needs of people. Some drugs pass through pharmaceutical procedures before they are allowed for public consumption.
The minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies, Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), have agreed to engage in drug integrity test for students of tertiary institutions.
According to the nationonlineng.net, institutions and the review of current secondary school curriculum to include drug education. But some activists have argued the need to protect the rights of applicants and pupils, who have not yet committed any drug offence. They have also called for protection of privacy of students and presumption of innocence and tackling risk of stigmatising such youths, particularity in a society where drug use is still heavily criminalised and misunderstood.
Meanwhile, some Nigerians urged the ministry of Education and NDLEA to consider applicants who do not have the financial muscle or students from poor homes, who may not be able to afford test costs or access reliable testing centres and the need to guarantee confidentiality, non-punitive support and provision of more rehabilitation centres before the adoption of the drug programme.
According to Bola Olajuwon, in Nigeria, drug use is a menace, especially among youths. According to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) there were 14.3 million drug users in Nigeria in 2018 while three million Nigerians suffer from drug use disorders. This is almost times three of the international prevalence of substance use.
Indeed, cannabis remains the most widely used illicit substance in Nigeria according to UNODC in the World Drug Report 2025, launched recently in Abuja. The report claimed that one in three users report needing treatment or counselling, underscoring a significant and growing. Particularly alarming is the 9.2 percent HIV prevalence among people who inject to evidence based treatment services.
In his words, UNDOC country representative office, Cheikh Toure, this is not just a health crisis. It is a development, security and peace building concern. The Executive Director of UNDOC, Ghada Walu, said we must invest in prevention and address the root causes of the drug trade at every point of the illicit supply chain.
He continued, we must strengthen responses by leveraging technology, strengthening cross-border cooperation providing alternative livelihoods, and taking judicial action that targets key actors. Through a comprehensive, coordinated approach, we can dismantle criminal organisations, bolster global security and protect our community. Thus, specifically, 316 million people used a drug (excluding alcohol and tobacco) in 2023, or six percent of the population aged between 15 and 64, compared to 5.2 percent of the population in 2013. With 244 million users, cannabis remains the most widely used drug, followed by opioids (61 million) amphetamines (30.7 millions), cocaine (25 million) and “ecstasy” (21 million). It warned that new groups of vulnerable people fleeing hardship, instability and conflict could cause these numbers to increase further.
Yes, the statistics by UNDOC and the upsurge in violent cult activities on campuses and environs might have informed the call for compulsory drug integrity test for students of tertiary institutions and the review of current secondary curriculum to include drug education.
According to the Director Media and Advocacy National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Headquarters, Femi Babafemi; the above resolve were part of the agreements reached between the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and Federal Ministry of Education. When the NDLEA Chairman/Executive, Brig-Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa, (rtd), led a delegation of his management team to the Minister of Education, Dr, Maruf Olatunji Alausa in Abuja
In a swift reaction and public interest to the collaboration, many Nigerians are of the opinion that the compulsory Drug test on students in tertiary institution in Nigeria should be test-run with the public office holders and politicians serving in government in Nigeria.
This is because some character of people in public service poses a serious threat to the society. And there is need to know the mental state of the politicians who want to serve the people as some of them have questionable character.
It is worthy to note that drug abuse and drug addiction are dangerous to health of any human. Observationally, most Nigerians are not against the joint collaboration, but it should be carried out on political leaders, security personnel first before it is done on students in Nigeria.
Again, anyone who is elected or appointed to assume public office should undergo such test. It is also observed that social lifestyle of public office holders influence the younger generation negatively and that is why the scope of compulsory drug integrity test should be expanded to cover the security agencies and public office holders and anyone serving the public in Nigeria. This is actually a test that will disclose the real mental health status of an individual serving the public in Nigeria. ***
