The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced plans to make the Drug Integrity Test (DIT) compulsory for students seeking admission into Nigerian universities.
The move, according to the agency, is part of efforts to curb the growing menace of drug abuse among Nigerian youths, particularly those within school age.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd.), said the test would serve as a preventive measure to safeguard the future of young people and reduce cases of drug addiction on campuses.
Marwa, represented by Assistant State Commander (Sensitisation), ACN Uche Sampson, spoke at the maiden edition of the News Emperor Magazine’s National Youths Enlightenment and Sensitisation Seminar (NAYES 2025) held at Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
He explained that discussions were ongoing to secure both presidential approval and legislative backing for the initiative, which the agency hopes will soon become national policy.
“The Chairman is seeking to carry out Drug Integrity Tests first for students seeking admission into our universities. This war against drug abuse must begin at the grassroots,” Sampson told participants.
The NDLEA official added that the agency was determined to strengthen enforcement through legislation and ensure that all institutions of higher learning comply with the directive once it comes into effect.
He stressed that the fight against drug abuse cannot be left to NDLEA alone, calling on parents, schools, religious organizations, and communities to take active roles in monitoring and guiding young people.
Convener of the seminar, Pastor Ambrose Obioma Okehi, who is also Publisher of News Emperor Magazine, described the event as the fulfillment of a vision he had nurtured since 2019 but delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pastor Okehi narrated his personal experience of surviving an attack from a drug addict, saying it strengthened his resolve to support NDLEA’s campaign through sensitisation programmes and educational publications.
The keynote lecture was delivered by Prof. Samuel Babatunde, Rector of the Port and Terminal Management Academy of Nigeria, who cited the 2018 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) National Drug Use Survey. The survey revealed that 14.3 million Nigerians between the ages of 15 and 64 use psychoactive substances.
Prof. Babatunde warned that youths aged 15 to 35 remain the most vulnerable group and defined drug abuse as the harmful use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs, with devastating health, social, and security consequences.
In a goodwill message, Alhaji (Dr) Segun Musa, MD/CEO of Widescope Logistics International Limited, commended the organisers for their innovative approach. Represented by Mr. Onoruoiza Onuchi, Musa urged Nigerian youths to stay away from drugs, noting that abuse often leads to criminality and wasted opportunities.
The seminar also had in attendance youth groups, including members of Mission For Souls Church, who pledged support for NDLEA’s awareness campaign through faith-based outreach.
Closing the event, ACN Uche Sampson reiterated that NDLEA under Marwa’s leadership has made significant progress in drug seizures, arrests, convictions, and rehabilitation, and assured that the Drug Integrity Test for admission seekers would further strengthen the agency’s war against drug abuse.