Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mohamed Buba Marwa, has charged all tertiary institutions in Nigeria to make drug integrity tests an institutional policy for both new and returning students.
He said this would boost the fight against drug abuse among Nigerian youths.
Marwa spoke yesterday at the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) while launching the “Drug-Free University campaign”.
He said, “Part of the measures to reduce drug use in the university is the proposed introduction of the Drug Integrity Test for both new and returning students. The Drug Integrity Test is anticipated to metamorphose into an anti-drug policy for all higher institutions of learning in Nigeria.
“It is expected that the University of Abuja, being the ‘University of National Unity’, will be the first public university in Nigeria to adopt the Drug Integrity Test for fresh and returning students of the institution.
“The Drug Integrity Test is not a punitive measure; rather, it is an early detection tool to ascertain an individual’s drug use status for appropriate intervention and timely treatment and care.”
He also called for a partnership between the agency and the university system to enable the agency to set up outposts on campuses to further strengthen the authorities in fighting the scourge.
