The Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has stated its opinion that to dismantle the control of drug addiction in Nigeria, there is a need to move beyond discussion and toward action characterized by precision and clear intention.
In a letter sent to the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the NYCN proposed Mandatory Drug Screening at Every Critical Gateway of Nigerian Life, stating that the framework is not conceived as a punishing action, but a vital tool for safeguarding and providing assistance.
The letter, signed by NYCN National President, Isah Abubakar, noted that the drug crisis threatens to undo the nation’s social structure, believing that individual effort is insufficient.
He explained that there is an urgent requirement for a thorough, systematic defense that supports every good parent and citizen in Nigeria, emphasizing that their objective is to establish a national structure that identifies individuals who desperately require help, as the nation’s future is otherwise permanently harmed.
Abubakar stated that the council proposed a 10-point plan to protect the nation’s institutions, urging the NDLEA to lead its implementation by testing students before they take the Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE), and before they receive an admission letter to any higher education institution (university or polytechnic).
It also called on the NDLEA to test graduates before they collect their university degree certificates, and before they enter or receive their discharge certificate from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camps.
The NYCN suggested that candidates should be tested before any job appointment in the public or private sector, and that routine, periodic testing should be enforced for all employed individuals.
Regarding politics and leadership, the letter stressed that no political party shall issue an expression of interest or nomination form to any citizen, including all political appointees, without first receiving a mandatory, negative drug test and a routine check after three (3) months, stating that leaders must uphold the highest standards.
It stated that the NDLEA should engage actively with cultural icons and musicians to end the public display and use of all forms of harmful drugs, ensuring they inspire, rather than endanger, the youth.
The NYCN also advised that the NDLEA should champion the necessary momentum to ensure the entire institutional framework is officially established in law, creating clear, enforceable national legislation, believing that it is the only way to safeguard the most valuable resource, the young generation.
Abubakar said, “We believe the NDLEA must be just as intentional and relentless in its efforts to prosecute the drug dealers who poison our streets as it is in securing the pathways for intervention and rehabilitation for those who fall victim.”
He explained that Nigeria’s destiny is worth the struggle, urging the NDLEA to take the lead in transforming the proposal into national policy by cooperating to cleanse the system, institution by institution, and build the drug-free nation Nigerians deserve.
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