Abuja varsity recommends compulsory drug test for students

An Abuja-based university, Cosmopolitan University, has called for a policy to make it mandatory for routine drug tests on students at the point of entry and after their admission into tertiary Institutions to discourage drug abuse and other social vices on Nigerian campuses.

The Registrar of the University, Dr Mani Ibrahim, made the suggestion during the University’s Open House programme held at the take-off campus of the University in Abuja. He said the routine test would help ascertain the mental health of students.

Cosmopolitan University is one of the 36 newly licenced private universities by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

The university said it would commence academic activities in September with 16 programmes and three faculties.

While noting that the University would be dedicated to providing a student-centred learning experience that is of international standard and innovative, the Registrar said the University authorities were aware of the moral decadence in society and would put all measures in place to ensure that students graduate from the University in character and learning.

He added that the University would pay close attention to students’ safety and deploy proper surveillance systems around the institution to monitor their conduct and activities.

He said, ”We are in the process of developing our drug policy, which will allow every student coming into the university to go through drug screening.

”We are going to work with parents and the community to carry this out so that we can ensure a drug-free society,” he said.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Carl Adams, said that the vision of the university is to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) in all aspects of learning in the institution, leveraging information and Communication Technology (ICT).

He added that the University aims to produce top-quality graduates who are not just globally competitive but also have high entrepreneurial skills to function effectively in society.

He said, “If we want this to be the best place for students, everything we do here is top-quality learning activity, We want to support students to be the best they can be without compromising quality.”