LASUED to Conduct Drug Tests for 4,500 Prospective Students Before Admission

The Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University of Education (LASUED), Prof. Bilkis Lafiaji-Okuneye, has stated that all 4,500 prospective students for the 2024/25 academic session will be required to undergo a drug test before being granted admission into the institution.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Lafiaji-Okuneye explained that the decision was prompted by a recent incident involving a drug-addicted student, which caused panic on campus. The school has partnered with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to ensure reliable test results for its admission screening process.

The Vice-Chancellor emphasised that no matter how outstanding a student’s University Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) results might be, the student would not be granted admission unless he or she was certified drug-free.

Lafiaji-Okuneye stressed that LASUED, as a teacher-training institution, must instil discipline and uphold high moral standards in its students.

“We are a teacher grooming institution; therefore, we aim to instil in our would-be teachers the morals and discipline worthy of a teacher. This will enable them to impact the same on pupils and students alike after their career training here. These are going to be the nation’s teachers tomorrow, so the institution is taking extra measures to make the best out of them, for you cannot give what you don’t have,” she said.

The vice-chancellor urged parents to take a stronger role in shaping their children’s moral values, warning that peer pressure on campus can easily lead to drug use. She advised against rushing children through academic levels or resorting to miracle centres to pass examinations. She noted that results obtained from miracle centres remained a fluke and could not provide the academic capability needed to persevere in challenging times at the university.

She also pointed out that the university has recently experienced an increase in withdrawals by students who gained admission with unearned certificates and were unable to cope with academic demands. Lafiaji-Okuneye commended the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for introducing stronger security measures to combat examination malpractice and urged the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the National Examination Council (NECO) to adopt similar measures.

The Federal Ministry of Education and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have jointly agreed to integrate drug education into the secondary school curriculum and enforce a mandatory drug testing policy for tertiary institutions.

The decision was reached during a meeting between NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) and Minister of Education Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, to expand prevention efforts to include curriculum reviews, parental involvement, awareness campaigns, and routine campus drug screenings.

Marwa cited NDLEA statistics showing that in the past two years, the agency arrested 40,887 offenders, secured 8,682 convictions, and seized 5,507 metric tonnes of illicit substances, including over one trillion pills of opiates such as tramadol. He proposed three strategic collaboration points: a comprehensive review of secondary school drug education to reflect evolving psychoactive threats; stand-alone prevention modules in schools involving parents and regular awareness campaigns; and a drug testing policy in tertiary institutions for fresh entrants, returning students, and random screenings to encourage campus sobriety without necessarily resorting to disciplinary expulsion.

Minister Alausa endorsed Marwa’s proposals, describing drug abuse as a national crisis that undermines students’ education, employability, and social integration. He announced the creation of a Substance Use Prevention Unit and an inter-ministerial working group to implement the reforms.

In 2023, the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) introduced a similar initiative for incoming students in partnership with the NDLEA. The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na’allah, has disclosed that students intending to study at the university must undergo and pass a drug test before admission.