FG mandates pre-employment drug testing for all public service applicants to curb substance abuse and enhance national productivity and security
The Federal Government has approved mandatory pre-employment drug testing for all prospective applicants to the Nigerian public service. The directive aims to tackle illicit drug use and safeguard national productivity and security.
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The policy, communicated through a service-wide circular issued by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, requires all permanent secretaries and heads of extra-ministerial departments and parastatals to make drug testing a core component of recruitment across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information and Public Relations at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said MDAs must collaborate with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to conduct the tests following established standards and procedures.
The initiative forms part of the administration’s broader effort to address drug and substance abuse decisively and to insulate the nation’s workforce from behaviours deemed detrimental to efficiency, discipline, and public trust.
The Federal Government cited concerns over the rising rate of drug and substance abuse, particularly among the youth, warning that the trend poses serious risks to public health, workplace productivity, socio-economic development, and national security.
The circular stressed that compulsory drug testing at the entry point is preventive rather than punitive.
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It is designed to promote a healthy, disciplined, and dependable workforce capable of driving national development.
