NDLEA, Ministry of Education Collaborate on Drug Education for Students

On Wednesday, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), led a delegation of his management team to a meeting with the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, in Abuja. The agreements reached between the two agencies include mandatory drug integrity testing for students attending tertiary institutions and a review of the current secondary school curriculum to incorporate drug education.

While stressing the terrible impact of substance misuse on the nation’s children, Marwa had praised the minister for his proactive attitude to his work during the meeting.

The battle against illegal drugs, he said, is a battle for the souls of young Nigerians.

The goal of our visit is to work with this prestigious ministry to support our joint efforts to combat drug use in Nigeria. Schools and educational institutions will essentially be the focus of our attention.

The fact that this ministry is responsible for the supervision of millions of our youngsters is quite important.

We are all aware of how widespread the drug problem is in Nigeria. We are genuinely engaged in a battle for our children’s souls. Currently, we also know that drug use is making criminal activity worse.

For example, Boko Haram, terrorism, banditry, and so on. “We know that without drugs, they would not be able to do what they are doing, because they would not do all these criminal activities in their right senses,” the expert said.

Thus, in our own small way, we are helping to combat the nation’s insecurity. Today, we have continued to deliver deadly blows to the drug cartels through law enforcement operations.

Through the asset forfeiture, arrests, convictions, and seizures, we are certain that we are doing everything in our power.

“We have arrested 40,887 criminal elements, convicted 8,682, and seized 5,507 metric tons of illicit drugs in the last two years, all with the support of President Bola Tinubu.”

Indeed, since January of last year, we have collected almost one billion opioid pills, primarily tramadol, valued at about N1 trillion.

President Tinubu has also authorized the construction of one model rehabilitation center in each of the nation’s geopolitical zones, Marwa said, adding that the president is also supporting the agency’s plans to construct seven rehabilitation centers in addition to the 30 that are currently spread across NDLEA commands nationwide.

He stated that in order to effectively combat the threat of substance misuse among Nigerian youth, he would like the Ministry and NDLEA to work together in three crucial areas.

The first recommendation we have, he said, is to examine the secondary school drug education program.

We’ve been informed about this in the past, but given the complexity, dynamic nature, and new psychoactive substances that have emerged, we believe it’s time to reevaluate the drug education process.

Additionally, we were considering proposing the implementation of independent drug misuse prevention programs in secondary schools.

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This time, the focus is on self-contained programs, parent involvement, lectures, competitions, and other activities rather than the curriculum.

The third thing we were considering was implementing a drug-testing program in higher education because we want a mechanism to maintain the cleanliness of our campuses.

Several vice chancellors have independently approached us to ask for our advice and to participate in administering drug tests to their students.

We now recommend random testing, drug testing for new students, and drug testing for students returning from vacation.

Knowing full well that there would be repercussions if they use drugs and are discovered, this will encourage the kids to abstain from doing so.

Furthermore, rustication is not a necessary outcome. In response, the minister praised Marwa’s dedication to serving Nigeria and his unwavering commitment.

We appreciate your service to Lagos. In addition, General Buba Marwa has dedicated his life to fighting for this nation. His service to the nation has continued since I first met him thirty years ago.

His passion was evident in the manner he outlined the nation’s issues and what he wanted us to accomplish. As he was speaking, I took notes, and it seemed as though I had seen his prepared remarks beforehand. I really appreciate you coming to visit us.

The drug epidemic, he said, is a serious issue that has to be addressed immediately.

“Youth who use drugs refuse to attend school, and even when they do, they do not receive a useful education.

And what happens when the day is over? They are less able to think critically. It drastically impairs their capacity to make wise choices in later life. They are thus no longer employable. What comes next? That vicious loop has sprung upon you. They are not working. They don’t benefit from it.

They only engage in criminal activity. You are likely to have a dysfunctional family after you start using drugs. It is a serious threat that we must address as soon as possible.