FG Introduces Mandatory Drug Tests for Secondary School Students Nationwide

The Federal Government has introduced a new policy mandating drug testing for secondary school students as part of efforts to tackle rising substance abuse in schools across Nigeria. The move is aimed at improving discipline, safeguarding student welfare, and strengthening academic performance nationwide.

The policy is contained in the National Implementation Guidelines Against Drug and Substance Use in Schools in Nigeria, which applies to all secondary schools. It provides a structured framework for identifying, managing, and rehabilitating students involved in drug use, while promoting a safer learning environment.

Under the new guidelines, all newly admitted students are required to undergo compulsory drug integrity tests at the point of entry. In addition, returning students will also be subjected to periodic and surprise drug screenings at least once every academic session. The tests are to be conducted in collaboration with approved federal and state health facilities to ensure proper standards and procedures.

The guidelines also clearly prohibit students from possessing or using narcotic drugs, controlled substances, or other substances of abuse without authorisation from school authorities. However, students on prescribed medication are required to declare such drugs through their parents or guardians during the admission process.

A key feature of the policy is the introduction of a three-stage intervention system for students who test positive for drugs. In the first stage, affected students will undergo counselling and initial treatment under the supervision of school authorities, with the aim of early intervention and behavioural correction.

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If a student tests positive again, the second stage requires referral to professional healthcare providers for specialised treatment and further evaluation. This step is intended to ensure proper medical attention and structured rehabilitation support for affected students.

In cases where a student continues to test positive after repeated interventions, the third stage allows for temporary removal from the school environment. Such students will undergo rehabilitation under professional care before being considered fit to return to school.

The policy also makes pre-test and post-test counselling mandatory. Pre-test counselling is designed to prepare students for the screening process, reduce anxiety, explain expectations, and encourage cooperation. Post-test counselling, on the other hand, ensures that students understand their results and are guided towards appropriate support services where necessary.

To strengthen enforcement, the Federal Government has directed all schools to establish disciplinary committees headed by school administrators. These committees will oversee compliance, manage cases of drug-related misconduct, and coordinate intervention measures within schools.

The guidelines further state that incidents involving violence linked to substance abuse, such as fighting or inflicting injuries, must be reported to law enforcement agencies for appropriate action. Schools are also required to ensure strict monitoring to prevent the possession and use of illegal substances on campus.

The government says the overall objective of the policy is to reduce the growing incidence of drug abuse among students, which has been linked to poor academic performance, behavioural challenges, and rising youth crime. Authorities maintain that early detection and intervention will help protect vulnerable students and improve the education system.

While the policy has been welcomed by some stakeholders as a necessary step to protect young people, others have raised concerns about privacy, implementation challenges, and the availability of testing infrastructure across public schools. Despite these concerns, the Federal Government insists the initiative is preventive and rehabilitative rather than punitive.

FG Introduces Mandatory Drug Tests for Secondary School Students Nationwide

2026 UTME: JAMB to Fix Admission Cut-Off Marks Monday

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has announced that it will hold its 2026 Policy Meeting on Monday in Abuja, where key decisions on 2026 UTME cut-off marks and admission guidelines for tertiary institutions across Nigeria will be officially determined. In a statement issued on Sunday by its Public Communications Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, the board said the meeting will be chaired by the Minister of Education and will bring together key stakeholders in the education sector to agree on national admission policies for the 2026 exercise.

The meeting is expected to set the minimum cut-off marks for universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, alongside broader admission guidelines that will govern the 2026/2027 academic session. JAMB explained that the decisions taken will directly influence how millions of candidates who sat for the 2026 UTME are considered for admission across various institutions in the country.

JAMB also stated that the policy meeting will review and establish broader admission standards, including the determination of “minimum tolerable scores for admissions,” which serve as the national benchmark for entry into tertiary institutions. While the board provides the baseline, individual institutions are still allowed to set higher departmental requirements depending on the competitiveness of their courses.

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The board further confirmed that the 2026 Policy Meeting will host a delegation from Sierra Leone, led by the country’s Deputy Minister of Education, Mr. Sarjoh Aziz Kamara. The delegation will also include two vice-chancellors, including Prof. Edwin Momoh of Ernest Bai Koroma University. According to JAMB, the visiting team expressed interest in Nigeria’s centralized admission system, noting that it provides structured solutions to admission challenges experienced in their own country.

JAMB used the opportunity to reaffirm the importance of its centralized admission system, stressing that it remains essential for ensuring fairness, consistency, and standardisation in tertiary admissions across Nigeria. The board noted that the system helps streamline the admission process for millions of candidates while maintaining national academic standards.

The 2026 Policy Meeting is expected to produce key outcomes, including the approval of 2026 UTME cut-off marks, national admission guidelines for tertiary institutions, post-UTME screening frameworks, institutional admission quotas, and the official timetable for the 2026/2027 academic session. Once concluded, the decisions will officially mark the beginning of the new admission cycle across Nigerian tertiary institutions.

2026 UTME: JAMB to Fix Admission Cut-Off Marks Monday

FG Bans Honorary Degree Holders from Using “Dr” Title

The Federal Government has formally banned recipients of honorary degrees from using the “Dr” title in Nigeria, declaring such usage a misrepresentation of academic qualifications and warning of legal consequences for violators.

Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, announced the directive on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, while briefing State House correspondents on decisions approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC). He spoke alongside Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad.

According to Alausa, the new policy—approved by FEC—establishes a uniform framework regulating the award and use of honorary degrees across Nigerian universities, as part of efforts to restore credibility and integrity to the country’s academic system.

He stated unequivocally that honorary degree recipients must not prefix “Dr” to their names in official, academic, or professional settings.

“Recipients shall not prefix doctor to their names in official usage. Misrepresentation of honorary degrees as earned academic credentials shall be considered academic fraud and subject to legal and reputational consequences,” he said.

The directive comes amid rising concern over the misuse of honorary degrees in Nigeria, where such titles have increasingly been adopted for social status, political advantage, and business influence.

Alausa noted that the trend has led to widespread abuse, with honorary awards allegedly being used for political patronage and, in some cases, financial inducement.

“The recent trend we’ve seen with the award of honorary degrees has revealed a growing abuse and politicisation of this academic privilege,” he said.

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“We’ve seen awards being used for political patronage, for financial gain, as well as the conferral of awards on serving public officials, which, as part of the ethics of honorary degree awards, should not happen.”

The new regulation introduces strict guidelines on how honorary degrees should be presented. Instead of using the “Dr” prefix, recipients are required to indicate the honorary nature of the award after their names.

For instance, individuals may write “Chief Louis Clark, D.Lit. (Honoris Causa)” or “Mrs Miriam Adamu, LL.D. (Hons.),” ensuring a clear distinction between honorary recognition and earned doctoral qualifications.

The policy also standardises the categories of honorary degrees that Nigerian universities are permitted to award, limiting them to four: Doctor of Laws (LL.D), Doctor of Letters (D.Lit), Doctor of Science (D.Sc), and Doctor of Humanities (D.Arts).

In addition, universities without active PhD programmes are now barred from awarding honorary degrees—a move aimed at curbing what the government describes as the growing commercialisation of academic honours by institutions lacking adequate research capacity.

Alausa explained that all honorary degree certificates must explicitly state “honorary” or “Honoris Causa” to prevent ambiguity or misuse.

To ensure compliance, the Federal Government, through the National Universities Commission (NUC), will issue a formal circular to vice-chancellors, registrars, and governing councils of universities nationwide.

The minister added that convocation ceremonies will be closely monitored, while collaboration with the media will be strengthened to discourage the improper use of academic titles by honorary awardees.

The policy builds on earlier efforts to regulate the practice, including the 2012 “Keffi Declaration” introduced by the Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities. However, Alausa noted that the declaration lacked legal backing and enforcement mechanisms.

“The association doesn’t have any legal backing to enforce anything. That is why we brought this to the Federal Executive Council, which now gives it legal and executive backing,” he said.

Education stakeholders have welcomed the move as a significant step toward sanitising Nigeria’s academic space and preserving the value of earned doctoral degrees.

Analysts say the enforcement of the directive will be crucial, particularly in a society where titles carry significant social and political influence.

The new policy is expected to reshape how honorary degrees are perceived and used in Nigeria, reinforcing the distinction between academic achievement and ceremonial recognition.

FG Bans Honorary Degree Holders from Using “Dr” Title