The Federal Government of Nigeria has taken steps to address the rising challenge of drug abuse within the public service to improve productivity and security by introducing a compulsory drug screening policy for all intending public service employees.
The order was communicated via a service-wide circular from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), which requires all permanent secretaries and heads of extra-ministerial departments and parastatals to incorporate drug testing as a mandatory condition for enlisting new staff in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
The Director of Information and Public Relations in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Segun Imohiosen, in his statement, said that the new policy requires MDAs to liaise with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to carry out tests in accordance with approved standards and procedures.
The circular further noted that the initiative underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to confronting the menace of drug and substance abuse and to protect the nation’s workforce from behaviors perceived as harmful to efficiency, discipline, and public confidence.
The Federal Government also decried the disturbing rise in drug and substance abuse, especially among the large population of youths in the country, warning that the implications of the trend are serious threats to public health, efficiency at work, socio-economic growth, and national security.
The circular emphasized that the compulsory drug testing policy for new public service recruits is intended as a preventive measure to ensure a healthy, disciplined, and dependable workforce that can contribute to national development.