The Federal Government has approved the introduction of mandatory pre-employment drug testing for all prospective applicants to the Nigerian public service.
The move is aimed at curbing the growing menace of illicit drug use and safeguarding national productivity and security.
The directive, conveyed through a service-wide circular issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), mandates all permanent secretaries and heads of extra-ministerial departments and parastatals to make drug testing a core requirement in the recruitment of new personnel across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
A statement by the Director of Information and Public Relations in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Segun Imohiosen, said under the new policy, MDAs are required to collaborate with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in conducting the tests, in line with established standards and procedures.
According to the circular, the decision forms part of the present administration’s broader determination to tackle drug and substance abuse decisively and to insulate the nation’s workforce from practices considered inimical to efficiency, discipline and public trust.
The Federal Government expressed concern over what it called the alarming rate of drug and substance abuse, particularly among the country’s teeming youth population.
It warned that the trend poses serious risks to public health, workplace productivity, socio-economic development and national security.
There have been concerns that substance abuse within the public sector could undermine service delivery, compromise institutional integrity and weaken the capacity of government to meet its development objectives.
The circular emphasised that the introduction of compulsory drug testing at the entry point into public service is intended not as a punitive measure but as a preventive step to promote a healthy, disciplined and dependable workforce capable of driving national development.