Ilorin, Kwara State – Hajia Fatima Abiola-Popoola, the Commandant of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kwara State, has proposed that universities implement mandatory drug tests for newly admitted students as part of their admission process.
In a recent radio program monitored by our correspondent, Hajia Abiola-Popoola suggested that such a measure could serve as a preventive strategy and offer early intervention and counseling to those already using drugs, potentially preventing them from becoming problematic users.
Hajia Abiola-Popoola voiced concern over the increasing number of drug users in Nigeria, with a notable rise among females. She highlighted the alarming statistic from a 2018 survey which indicated that 14.3 million people in Nigeria were drug users. According to the survey, one out of every seven Nigerians uses drugs, and one in four drug users is a woman.
“This shows that the society is in trouble because a woman is the administrator of the home,” she warned, emphasizing the broader implications of drug use on families and society. The NDLEA boss’s proposal aims to address these concerns by implementing preventive measures at the university level.