The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Federal Ministry of Education have reached key agreements aimed at curbing the rising tide of substance abuse among Nigerian youths, including the introduction of drug education into the school curriculum and compulsory drug integrity testing for students of tertiary institutions.
These were parts of far-reaching decisions made during a high-level meeting between the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), and the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, held on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, in Abuja.
Marwa, who led a delegation of NDLEA management staff, commended the Minister’s proactive stance on education and reiterated that the war against drug abuse is ultimately a war for the soul of the nation’s youth. He warned that the drug scourge in Nigeria is devastating, especially among young people, and is fueling insecurity across the country, including terrorism, banditry, and other violent crimes. According to him, without drugs, many of these criminal acts would be unthinkable.
He disclosed that from January 2023 to date, the Agency has seized over one billion pills of opioids, mostly Tramadol, with an estimated street value exceeding ₦1 trillion. He added that under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, more than 40,000 drug-related arrests have been made, 8,682 convictions secured, and thousands of tonnes of illicit drugs confiscated. Marwa further explained that the President had approved the construction of seven additional rehabilitation centres and one model rehab centre in each of the six geopolitical zones.
While seeking collaboration with the Ministry, Marwa emphasized the need for a comprehensive review of the secondary school curriculum to reflect current drug threats and the inclusion of new psychoactive substances. He also proposed the implementation of independent drug prevention programmes in schools, such as awareness lectures and competitions involving students and parents. Furthermore, he called for the adoption of a drug integrity testing policy in tertiary institutions, targeting fresh and returning students as well as random testing to deter drug use on campuses.
In response, Minister Alausa commended Marwa for his unwavering dedication to national service and acknowledged the urgent need to tackle the drug menace. He noted that youths involved in substance abuse often lose access to functional education, which leads to a decline in critical thinking, unemployability, criminal behaviour, and the risk of dysfunctional families.
The Minister announced the creation of an inter-ministerial technical working group between the Ministry and NDLEA to implement the agreed initiatives. He also disclosed the establishment of a new Substance Use Prevention Unit within the Ministry, affirmed that drug education will be integrated into the new secondary school curriculum under review. He expressed commitment to cascading drug education to the primary school level as well.
Dr. Alausa assured that the drug testing policy in tertiary institutions will be adopted, starting with tests for fresh students, returning students from vacation, and random testing across campuses. He pledged support from key education agencies such as the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to work with NDLEA’s Academy in Jos in strengthening drug education and prevention efforts across the country’s basic and higher education systems.
Following the Minister’s directive, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Abel Oluwamuyiwa Enitan, confirmed the immediate take-off of the Substance Use Prevention Unit while delivering the vote of thanks.
