The Federal Government has revealed plans to begin full national implementation of a new drug and substance abuse policy tailored specifically for secondary schools.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the development in Abuja on Monday during the launch of three new national education policy documents. He explained that the new policies signal a major shift from merely drafting policies to actively implementing them across the education sector.
Alausa described the drug abuse framework as Nigeria’s first comprehensive national policy focused solely on tackling substance use among secondary school students. The policy is designed around prevention, early detection, counselling, rehabilitation, and disciplinary actions for repeat 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,” he said.
Concerns over rising drug use among teenagers have increased in recent years, with substances such as tramadol, cannabis, codeine-based syrups, and methamphetamine becoming more common in secondary schools. Analysts and education experts have linked this trend to school dropouts, poor academic performance, violent behaviour, and growing mental health issues.
Under the new policy, drug education will be incorporated into school curricula, while counselling and behavioural support units will be strengthened in public secondary schools. The approach will also promote closer collaboration among schools, parents, health agencies, and law enforcement to enable early intervention and long-term recovery. Although the policy prioritises prevention and rehabilitation, Alausa stressed that habitual offenders would still face sanctions according to existing regulations.
The drug abuse framework is part of a broader set of reforms introduced by the ministry, which also includes the National Teachers’ Policy and its implementation guidelines. Alausa noted that the government is adopting an “80 per cent implementation, 20 per cent policy development” model to address past challenges where policies existed but had little impact due to weak execution.
“Policy is only a fraction of the work. Implementation is the real task,” he said, adding that state governments will lead the execution while the federal government provides technical support and resources.
To improve teacher quality, Alausa disclosed that teacher training is being digitalised, with a national platform for continuous professional development set to be launched. He added that all public-school teachers will be fully licensed through the Teachers Registration Council to boost standards and accountability.
Speaking for state governments, the Kwara Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Lawal Olorungbebe, affirmed that the bulk of the implementation work will take place at the state level. He noted that most of the requirements could be easily incorporated into states’ 2025 project plans and budgets. He assured that commissioners nationwide are committed to ensuring the new policies achieve measurable improvements in secondary schools.
The minister also commended development partners such as UNESCO and UNICEF for their ongoing support in areas like teacher development, child protection, and school health initiatives.
The announcement comes amid increased public concern over student safety following repeated reports of drug-related incidents, cultism, and violence in secondary schools. Education analysts, however, warn that the policy’s success will depend on adequate funding, trained school counsellors, strong parental involvement, and consistent enforcement.
The Federal Government confirmed that implementation of the drug abuse policy will begin in phases from 2026, with monitoring systems to track compliance and measure its impact on student behaviour and academic performance.
