The federal government has introduced mandatory drug testing as a new requirement for employment into the public service.
The directive was issued to permanent secretaries and heads of extra-ministerial departments/parastatals in a statement on Monday.
Segun Imohiosen, director of information and public relations at the office of the secretary to the government of the federation (OSGF), said in the statement that new conditions are part of ongoing efforts to curb the rising menace of illicit drug use and its consequences on national development and security.
He added that the directive was premised on the concern raised by the federal government on the alarming rate of drug and substance abuse, particularly among the youth population.
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He noted that the “disturbing trend” has far-reaching implications for public health, socio-economic development, workplace productivity, and national security.
Ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) have been instructed to collaborate with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the conduct of the tests, in line with established standards and procedures.
The mandatory drug test for public service employment comes weeks after Adewale Adeniyi, the comptroller-general of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), introduced a similar policy requiring a similar compulsory drug test for all recruits and serving officers of the agency.
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Adeniyi said the measure is aimed at ensuring that no recruit enters the service with substance-abuse tendencies that could compromise judgement, security responsibilities, or operational integrity.
He added that serving officers would also be captured as the NCS moves towards establishing “a fully drug-free institution”.
Mandatory drug testing for public service employment is not a standard global practice.
However, in countries like the US, and some European countries, pre-employment drug testing is common for safety-sensitive roles like transportation or public safety positions.
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