Compulsory test for students will not address drug menace

The House of Representatives, at its plenary on February 29th, 2024, called for compulsory drug testing for secondary school students in the country given the rising cases of substance abuse by young Nigerians. This was after adopting a motion on “Need to introduce mandatory drug testing for secondary school students in Nigeria,” by Hon. Olanrewaju Oshun, member representing Lagos Mainland Federal Constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Oshun argued that, “Substance abuse among young people is fast becoming a global public health concern, gradually leading to complications like personality disorders, drug dependence and death.”

The house, after the debate, urged the federal ministries of Education and Health to collaborate and develop a mandatory drug testing programme for secondary school students in Nigeria.

However, in a swift reaction to the lawmakers’ resolution, the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) through its general-secretary, Dr Mike Ike-Ene, in an interview, said, “I don’t see drug test as a solution to control drugs; they should talk about children who are out of school. Even if you test them, bringing them back to school will give us a better advantage …. They should look for the root cause of the drug use. Most times, some people want to use the drug test on learners to siphon money.

“Agreed that we have a prevalence of illicit drug use among our teeming youths, which should be tackled forthwith, the proposal by the lawmakers is not the solution to the problem. With this resolution, it appears as if the House of Representatives is focusing on the smoke, rather than the fire. It would also look as if the young ones are being profiled.  Subjecting our young ones to drug tests is not a good idea at all, in fact, we may inadvertently end up worsening the situation.

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For example, a 2018 drug survey conducted by the NDLEA said the 14.3 million Nigerian drug abusers are within the age range of 15 and 64, adding that one out of every four drug users is a woman. The 2018 data showed that more women were into drug use, another major challenge posed by the illicit drug epidemic. This is because when women abuse drugs, it means their traditional role in families and communities as caregivers, role models, and life-moulders will be threatened.

But as the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa noted in a paper presentation titled; “Culture, drug abuse and the future of Nigerian youths”, during the annual lecture of National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) in 2023, that: “Addressing drug abuse requires a comprehensive approach that includes prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation services that should be accessible, affordable and culturally sensitive.”

Speaking further in the paper delivered on his behalf, Marwa said, “Drug abuse prevention efforts should focus on education and awareness about attendant risks and enhancement of protective factors such as family and community support.”

The government and its agencies must also do more to block access to illicit drugs because little or no progress can be made when drugs are easily accessible and being sold freely to whoever has money to purchase them.

The NDLEA should be commended for its Drug-Free Club and the newly established War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) in schools to sensitise students. This should be supported and encouraged by all. But the traditional and religious institutions as well as parents should individually and collectively be in the vanguard in the re-orientation of the youths on the dangers of abuse of drugs. Communities should work with relevant agencies to expose and prosecute drug traffickers.

We urge the House of Representatives, and by extension the National Assembly, to put pressure, through their oversight functions, on all the relevant agencies to up their game in fighting the drug menace. They should also support the NDLEA through legislation to overcome its challenges, especially that of adequate funding. The ongoing amendment of the NDLEA Act should also be fast tracked to enhance the agency’s capability to curb the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country. If the lawmakers do this, they may have less reasons to worry about drug abuse among young people, and the country as a whole.