FG Orders Mandatory Drug Test for Public Service Job Seekers

• The Federal Government has directed that all applicants into the Nigerian Public Service must undergo compulsory pre-employment drug testing as part of efforts to curb substance abuse and protect national productivity.

The Federal Government has ordered mandatory pre-employment drug testing for all prospective applicants into the Nigerian Public Service, as part of efforts to curb the growing menace of illicit drug use and safeguard national productivity and security.

The directive was announced through a service-wide circular issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), mandating 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).

According to a statement released by the Director of Information and Public Relations in the SGF’s office, Segun Imohiosen, MDAs are required to collaborate with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in conducting the tests, in line with approved standards and procedures.

The circular noted that the policy is part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s broader resolve to decisively tackle drug and substance abuse and to shield the nation’s workforce from practices considered harmful to efficiency, discipline and public trust.

The Federal Government expressed concern over what it described as the rising rate of drug and substance abuse, particularly among Nigeria’s large youth population, warning that the trend poses serious threats to public health, workplace productivity, socio-economic development and national security.

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It added that substance abuse within the public sector could undermine service delivery, erode institutional integrity, and weaken the government’s ability to achieve its development goals.

According to the circular, the compulsory drug testing policy is not punitive but a preventive measure designed to promote a healthy, disciplined and dependable workforce capable of driving national development.

For years, stakeholders have raised concerns about increasing drug abuse among Nigerian youths, repeatedly urging the government to take urgent and decisive action to address the challenge.