FG Introduces Mandatory Pre-Employment Drug Testing for Public Service Applicants

By Hajara Abdullahi

The Federal Government has approved the introduction of mandatory pre-employment drug testing as a requirement for prospective applicants seeking to join the Public Service.

This was revealed in a statement by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Segun Imohiosen, on Monday.

According to him, the directive is part of the Tinubu-led administration’s ongoing efforts to curb the rising menace of illicit drug use and its attendant consequences on national development and security.

He added that Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Extra-Ministerial Departments and Parastatals have been directed to work with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in conducting the tests, in line with established protocols and standards.

“The directive, which was contained in a service-wide circular from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), including extra-ministerial departments, is in line with the determination of the present administration to decisively tackle the menace of drug and substance abuse and insulate the national workforce from unwholesome practices,” part of the statement reads.

The move is premised on the alarming rate of drug and substance abuse, particularly among the teeming youth in the country — a disturbing trend with far-reaching implications for public health, socio-economic development, workplace productivity, and national security.