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Gbeminiyi Ogunleye
2 months ago
Overview
Alarming drug use on campuses
The disclosure by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) that drug use is deeply entrenched on Nigerian campuses has shaken public conscience and raised urgent questions about the future of the country’s youth. For a society that places enormous hope on education as a ladder out of poverty and underdevelopment, the revelation is not only disturbing but frightening. When an authoritative regulator reports that as many as half of students are involved in drug use in some environments, and backs this with campus raids where eight out of every 10 suspects are users, the issue can no longer be dismissed as moral panic or exaggeration. It is a national emergency unfolding quietly within lecture halls and hostels.
The figures cited by NDLEA place the problem in stark relief. While global drug-use prevalence stands at about 5.6 per cent, national prevalence among Nigerian students is put at 14.5 per cent, with some campuses showing far worse realities. The situation in Minna, particularly around the Federal University of Technology, illustrates how drug culture has fused with student life in certain areas. What was once limited to cannabis sativa has evolved into the use of more potent, refined variants such as “loud” or “kolos,” reflecting a dangerous sophistication in consumption patterns. Even more worrying is the agency’s discovery that some students are graduating from users to dealers, turning campuses into recruitment and distribution hubs.
This trend speaks to a wider social crisis. Campuses mirror society, and the pressures confronting young Nigerians today are immense. Economic uncertainty, unemployment anxiety, cultism, peer pressure, mental health challenges and the glamourisation of drug use in popular culture all converge on impressionable minds. In such an environment, drugs become both an escape and, for some, a source of income. Left unchecked, this culture erodes academic standards, fuels crime, damages health and produces graduates ill-equipped to contribute meaningfully to national development.
To nip this menace in the bud, a coordinated, multi-layered response is required, beginning with the government. Beyond episodic raids, the state must institutionalise drug prevention and control on campuses. NDLEA’s collaboration with some institutions is commendable, but it must be expanded and formalised. Establishing permanent NDLEA desks or liaison units in tertiary institutions would send a strong signal that campuses are not safe havens for drug activity. These units should work closely with school authorities, student affairs divisions and campus security to gather intelligence, carry out preventive education and respond swiftly to emerging threats.
However, enforcement alone cannot solve the problem. The government must also address the structural drivers of drug abuse by investing in youth development, mental health services and employment pathways. Students who see no future beyond graduation are more likely to seek solace or survival in drugs. Funding campus counselling centres, training psychologists and social workers, and integrating substance-abuse education into general studies curricula would help students confront stress and peer pressure without resorting to drugs.
Parents, too, bear a critical responsibility. The tendency to assume that admission into a tertiary institution marks the end of parental oversight has proven costly. Parents must remain emotionally present, observant and communicative, even from a distance. Early signs of drug involvement often manifest in behavioural changes, declining academic interest or unexplained financial demands. Open conversations about drugs, grounded in trust rather than fear, can make children more willing to seek help. Parents must also resist the temptation to shield erring children from consequences, as such indulgence only entrenches destructive habits.
Institutional leadership is equally pivotal. Universities and polytechnics must reclaim their campuses by enforcing clear, transparent anti-drug policies. Sanctions should be firm but fair, combining disciplinary measures with rehabilitation. While repeat offenders and drug dealers deserve expulsion and prosecution to deter others, first-time users should have access to counselling and recovery programmes. Institutions must also regulate the spaces around campuses, working with host communities to dismantle drug joints and prevent landlords from renting premises to known dealers.
Cutting the oxygen that sustains drug use requires disrupting both demand and supply. On the supply side, intelligence-led policing, surveillance of known hotspots and stiff penalties for traffickers, including students involved in dealing, are essential. On the demand side, promoting vibrant campus life through sports, entrepreneurship hubs, skills acquisition and creative outlets can redirect youthful energy towards productive pursuits. When students are meaningfully engaged, the allure of drugs diminishes.
Ultimately, the NDLEA’s revelations should serve as a wake-up call. The battle against drugs on Nigerian campuses is not merely about law enforcement; it is about safeguarding the nation’s future. If society fails to act decisively now, it risks producing a generation undermined at its foundation. Collective action by government, parents and institutions can still reverse the tide and restore campuses as spaces for learning, innovation and character formation rather than breeding grounds for addiction and crime.
