By Luminous Jannamike, ABUJA
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged the Federal Government to introduce compulsory drug testing for all students in tertiary institutions as part of a national campaign to curb substance abuse among youths.
The association said the measure would help restore discipline, improve academic performance, and secure the future of Nigeria’s young population.
In a position paper signed by Comrade Olushola Oladoja, President of NANS, the students’ body called for the implementation of a government-backed Drug-Free Campus Initiative (DFCI) to combat the growing menace of drug abuse in universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education across the country.
Oladoja warned that substance abuse among students had become a public health crisis, threatening academic excellence, moral integrity, and national productivity.
He said urgent collective action was needed to rescue the nation’s campuses from the grip of drug addiction and restore sanity to the student community.
“Drug abuse among students is no longer an isolated concern; it has evolved into a public health crisis affecting learning, safety, and national productivity,” NANS stated.
The association identified marijuana, tramadol, codeine, and methamphetamine, commonly known as ‘ice’ or ‘mkpurummiri’, as the most widely abused substances on campuses, noting that their use fuels violence, cultism, and other social vices.
“Most cases of cultism, assault, and campus unrest are traceable to substance influence. Drug abuse fuels aggression and moral decay among students,” the statement read.
NANS emphasised that the fight against drug abuse must begin from the nation’s higher institutions, calling for cooperation among the Ministry of Education, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), school authorities, and student unions to drive the campaign.
The association recommended mandatory drug testing at both entry and graduation points in all tertiary institutions, to be supervised by NDLEA officials and institutional health units. It said the policy would act as both a preventive and corrective approach to controlling drug use.
“All newly admitted students should undergo compulsory drug testing as part of the admission clearance process. Similarly, every graduating student must undergo drug testing before final clearance to ensure they leave the institution clean and responsible,” NANS proposed.
It also called for the establishment of Drug-Free Clubs or committees in every campus, to be supported by NDLEA and student unions for awareness creation, peer education, and counselling. Drug education, it added, should form a compulsory part of student orientation and General Studies (GST) courses.
“Students identified with substance use should be referred for rehabilitation and counselling, not stigmatised, ensuring reintegration into academic life,” the group advised.
NANS further urged sustained partnership with government agencies and civil society to intensify campaigns, seminars, and sensitisation drives against drug use among students.
Oladoja reaffirmed the association’s commitment to building a morally upright and disciplined student community, warning that Nigeria’s future workforce and leadership potential were at stake if the crisis continued unchecked.
“The dream of a prosperous Nigeria begins with a generation of mentally sound, morally upright, and drug-free students,” he said.
NANS maintained that drug abuse on campuses poses ‘a clear and present danger’ to national stability and educational development and appealed to students to take personal responsibility for their health, discipline, and future.
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