The Federal Government said the implementation of the drug abuse policy in secondary schools would begin in phases from 2026, with monitoring mechanisms to track compliance and assess its impact on student behaviour and academic performance.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, made this known in Abuja on Monday during the unveiling of three new national education policy documents.
The policy is aimed at arresting the problem of drug use among teenagers and secondary school students, as a substantial number of them have now developed a taste for substances such as tramadol, cannabis, codeine-based cough syrups and methamphetamine.
Alausa said the drug abuse policy represents the first comprehensive national framework designed solely to address substance use among students in secondary schools.
According to him, the policy will focus on prevention, early identification, counselling, rehabilitation and disciplinary measures for habitual offenders.
“This is the first time Nigeria is developing a national policy and implementation guideline on drug and substance abuse in secondary schools, We must protect our youth. Addiction destroys lives, undermines learning and weakens the future of the nation,” the minister declared.
