SOME drug control experts have commended the move by the University of Abuja to mandate every prospective student to undergo drug tests and submit the result as part of the admission process.
While acknowledging the university’s initiative, the experts who spoke to The ICIR in exclusive interviews argued that addressing drug abuse requires a multi-faceted approach beyond drug testing.
They emphasised the need for educational programmes, counselling services, and community support.
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On Wednesday, October 4, The Vice-Chancellor of UniAbuja, Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah, said every prospective student of the university must undertake a drug test and present its result before the admission process could be complete.
He said this while speaking at the 27th pre-convocation briefing on October 4 in Abuja, noting that the institution was working with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to rehabilitate students who were involved in drug abuse so they do not become a nuisance after graduation.
A Drug control expert and the Coordinator of Alternative Development for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Jonah Kolo, lauded the development, adding that there were a few other universities that had adopted the policy a long time ago.
According to him, the directive aligned with NDLEA’s view of handling drug abuse in society.
“What these universities are trying to do is quality control. Because everywhere in the world, you cannot market a bad product. And if the quality is not checked from the production point, then by the time it gets to the market, what happens is that it gives the producer a bad name. So it’s a kind of practice they are trying to adopt to filter out the bad heads. They want to prevent drug users from coming into their universities.”
He stressed the implications of having drug users in the universities, noting that oftentimes, they were involved in violent activities like cultism and gang fights, ultimately distorting the academic calendar.
Kolo stated that beyond mandating students to undergo drug tests, the university also needed to focus on capacity building and foster partnerships with relevant stakeholders, such as NDLEA and off-campus hostel landlords.
Also speaking about the directive’s implications, Olusina Ajidahun, a resident doctor trained in Internal Medicine, argued that the university management should raise more awareness about drug abuse and rehabilitate those ensnared in drugs.
According to him, students, knowing that they might be subjected to drug tests, could stay off drugs for weeks to have a clean result.
“In as much as it is a good gesture to deter people from taking drugs, that should not be the only solution because drug people always experiment with stuff. What they need to do is to create more awareness around drug abuse and also do rehabilitation for addicts because a lot of people are struggling.
He also argued that deferring a student’s admission or suspending the student was not a solution to drug control, noting that people found using drugs need counselling and rehabilitation.
“We need more awareness on social media, drug control campaigning by media and social influencers and content creators, and more rehab centres in Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, some parents of UniABuja students, speaking with The ICIR, welcomed the initiative and expressed optimism that it would significantly reduce drug abuse among young people in society.
“The drug test is a welcome development because nobody will want his/her child to come to school and become a nuisance at the end of the day. It is a good initiative if only they can take it up,” said Akin Samson, one of the parents.
Another parent, Uzor Ifesinachi, lauded the initiative. “It’s good. My child does not indulge in drugs, but when you see the youths of today, you’ll marvel at what they do. There are many children out there who take drugs. Some of them don’t even hide the habit. That’s what they do, and they eventually join cultism and become ‘Yahoo Yahoo Boys’ (fraudsters and money ritualists).”
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M