The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has advocated for the introduction of drug integrity tests for youth corps members, prospective couples, and other groups, as part of efforts to curb the rising tide of substance abuse across the country.
Marwa made the call during a courtesy visit by the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Oluseye Nafiu, to the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.
He noted that the initiative is not punitive but preventive, aimed at early detection and intervention before substance use escalates into addiction or psychiatric complications.
“The drug scourge has continued to devastate our kids, families, and communities. One in seven Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 64 use drugs. It’s a national crisis.
“We’re advocating that NYSC embrace drug integrity testing for corps members as part of our broader drug demand reduction efforts. The same principle applies to intending couples—testing helps identify cases early for timely counseling and treatment.”
The NDLEA boss lauded NYSC for establishing War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) clubs in orientation camps, describing it as a laudable step towards youth sensitization. He also proposed the deployment of corps members with backgrounds in Guidance and Counselling, Psychology, Nursing, and Psychiatry to NDLEA treatment centres as part of their primary assignments to support rehabilitation services.
In his response, the NYSC DG, Brig Gen Nafiu, described the drug integrity test proposal as a welcome idea and pledged to study it for possible implementation. He assured that the scheme would develop guidelines to post qualified corps members to NDLEA Commands with counselling and rehabilitation facilities nationwide.
While commending Marwa’s leadership and the agency’s remarkable strides in the fight against drug abuse, Nafiu expressed readiness to deepen existing collaboration between NYSC and the NDLEA.
