Education Minister Endorses Drug Tests, Curriculum Review to Combat Substance Abuse in Schools

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has thrown his full support behind the introduction of mandatory and random drug integrity tests for students in tertiary institutions across Nigeria. This move follows a strategic meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday with the Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd), where both parties aligned on urgent steps to tackle substance abuse among students.

According to a statement by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, the Education Minister also approved the integration of updated drug education content into the secondary school curriculum. In addition, he announced the formation of an inter-ministerial working group with the NDLEA to implement targeted strategies across education levels.

Marwa, addressing the growing menace, described drug abuse as a serious threat to national security and youth development, linking it to terrorism, banditry, and other criminal activities. He revealed that the NDLEA has made significant strides in recent years, arresting over 40,000 drug offenders and seizing more than 5,500 metric tonnes of illicit substances.

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

In response, Dr. Alausa emphasized the urgency of the crisis, noting its devastating impact on education and the future of Nigerian youth.

“When young people fall into drug use, they lose interest in school. Even those who attend classes struggle to engage meaningfully,” he said. “Their critical thinking ability drops, their decision-making falters, and they become unemployable, trapped in a vicious cycle of dysfunction.”

Alausa confirmed that drug testing will begin with both fresh and returning students in tertiary institutions and will include random screenings. “We have no choice, we must act,” he stated.

To strengthen the fight, the minister announced the creation of a Substance Use Prevention Unit within the ministry and reaffirmed the ongoing revision of the secondary school curriculum, with plans to extend drug education to the primary school level as well.

He also endorsed the introduction of stand-alone, school-based prevention programmes and pledged collaboration with agencies like the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to support NDLEA’s training academy in Jos, Plateau State.

“This is the time to take action,” Alausa concluded. “And we will see it through.”