All Prospective Students Must Undergo Drug Tests Before Admission – VC

Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) has announced that all 4,500 prospective students seeking admission for the 2024/2025 academic session must undergo drug testing before being offered a place at the institution.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bilkis Lafiaji-Okuneye, disclosed this in Lagos, explaining that the decision follows a recent incident involving a drug-addicted student that caused panic on campus. She said the measure aims to safeguard the university community and uphold academic and moral standards.

According to her, the university has partnered with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to conduct the tests. Regardless of high scores in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) or the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE), candidates will not gain admission unless certified drug-free.

While acknowledging the additional financial cost of the initiative, Lafiaji-Okuneye stressed its importance in promoting students’ mental stability and academic focus.

> “We are a teacher-grooming institution, and we aim to instill in our future teachers the morals and discipline worthy of the profession. These students will be shaping the next generation, so they must embody the values they will teach,” she said.

The VC expressed concern over the growing number of “socially premature” students entering universities and urged parents to equip their children with strong moral foundations to resist peer pressure. She cautioned against rushing students through school or using so-called “special centres” to secure inflated examination results, warning that such shortcuts often lead to academic struggles and dropouts.

Lafiaji-Okuneye revealed that some recent student withdrawals from LASUED were linked to unearned qualifications, which left them unable to cope with academic demands.

She commended the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for introducing stronger security measures in its examinations, noting that malpractice cases such as impersonation have dropped significantly.