Prospective members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, may be subjected to a mandatory drug test, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency is advocating.
Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), who spoke during a ‘Training the Trainer’ event, organised by NDLEA in partnership with Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries in Abuja on Saturday, said the agency is tackling drug abuse by promoting drug testing in universities, communities, and among families.
Represented by Mrs Ngozi Madubuike, NDLEA’s Director of Drug Demand Reduction, Marwa said drug tests at NYSC camps would help deter substance use.
He explained that the tests would also enable timely support and intervention for those who test positive for drugs during orientation.
The programme is part of the War Against Drug Abuse campaign, aimed at reducing drug demand and building stronger support networks for youths.
The policy has already been adopted by some universities and state governments and is gradually gaining wider acceptance.
NDLEA supplies affordable test kits to schools and assigns trained officers to carry out drug testing procedures.
The agency is pushing for drug test requirements in other sectors, including public service, in spite of some opposition.
“If youths know camps include drug tests, they’ll avoid it. The goal is early help for those who need it,” PUNCH quoted Marwa as saying.
He emphasised that urgent collective action is needed to address the rising trend of drug abuse in the country.