The House of Representatives has instructed the Ministry of Education to partner with the Ministry of Health in creating a compulsory drug testing program for secondary school students in Nigeria.
This decision followed the approval of a motion presented by Moshood Oshun during the recent plenary session. Oshun highlighted the significance of adolescence as a crucial phase, citing factors like experimental curiosity, peer pressure, challenging home conditions, and the need for extra energy as influences on students.
Emphasizing the role of youths in socio-economic development, he expressed concerns about the rising global issue of substance abuse among young people, particularly in Nigerian secondary schools.
“According to studies, there is a notable prevalence of drug and substance abuse across secondary schools in Nigeria with one in every four students aged between 15 and 19 years abusing substances that include codeine-containing syrup and tramadol, which tops the list of drugs, ranking higher than even cannabis”, he said.
Oshun proposed the implementation of Random Student Drug Testing, a preventive measure aimed at deterring drug use and identifying students in need of assistance.
The House urged awareness campaigns on substance abuse and assigned committees to ensure compliance with the mandatory drug testing, emphasizing its preventive nature.
