The Federal Government has approved mandatory pre-employment drug testing for all prospective applicants into the Public Service.
According to Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information and Public Relations at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the move aims to tackle the rising problem of illicit drug use and its negative effects on national development and security.
Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Extra-Ministerial Departments and Parastatals have been instructed to make drug testing a core requirement in the recruitment of new staff.
“The Federal Government has approved the introduction of mandatory pre-employment drug testing as a requirement for prospective applicants into the Public Service, as part of ongoing efforts to curb the rising menace of illicit drug use and its attendant consequences on national development and security,” the statement partly read.
Imohiosen added that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies are to collaborate with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to carry out the tests according to established standards and procedures.
“The directive, issued in a service-wide circular from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, underscores the administration’s commitment to combating drug and substance abuse and protecting the national workforce from harmful practices,” he said.
The policy responds to concerns over increasing drug and substance abuse, particularly among youths, and its implications for public health, productivity, and national security.
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