The Lagos State University of Education (LASUED) has announced that 4,500 prospective students seeking admission for the 2024/2025 academic session will be subjected to mandatory drug tests before being offered admission into the institution.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bilkis Lafiaji-Okuneye, made this known while speaking on the university’s efforts to raise the standard of education and ensure a drug-free academic environment.
According to her, the decision follows a past incident involving a drug-addicted student who caused panic within the school. She said that as a teacher-training institution, LASUED must take proactive steps to instill morals and discipline in its students.
“We are a teacher grooming institution. These are going to be the nation’s teachers tomorrow. So we are taking extra measures to make the best out of them,” Lafiaji-Okuneye said.
She revealed that the university had partnered with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to carry out the drug tests. She stressed that excellent results in UTME or SSCE would not guarantee automatic admission unless the candidate is confirmed drug-free.
While acknowledging the extra cost involved in conducting the tests, the VC described it as a necessary investment in students’ mental well-being and academic performance.
She also raised concerns over the increasing number of academically and socially unprepared students gaining admission through shortcuts such as “special centres” and forged credentials.
Lafiaji-Okuneye blamed the surge in student withdrawals from LASUED on those who entered the system with unearned certificates, and who found it difficult to cope with the academic demands of university life.
She called on parents to stop putting pressure on schools to promote their children prematurely, urging them instead to help raise morally upright and socially responsible young adults.
The VC commended JAMB for improving examination integrity through enhanced security features, noting that incidents of impersonation and malpractice had significantly reduced in recent years.
LASUED, established in 2022, continues to position itself as a model for teacher education in Nigeria, focusing not just on academic success, but also character building.
