UNIABUJA to subject candidates to drug test before admission —VC

AS part of efforts to curb cultism and other social vices on campus, authorities of the University of Abuja have disclosed that all candidates who intend to study in the university must undertake and present a drug test before admission.

Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na’allah made this known at the 27th pre-convocation briefing in Abuja.

Na’allah, who has continued to maintain zero-tolerance to cultism and drug abuse, revealed that the institution is currently working with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to help students involved in drug abuse and to rehabilitate them.

While linking prevalence of social vices on Nigerian campuses to drug abuse, the VC noted that knowing the drug status of students is imperative, “as this would enable the university management to find a way of helping the students to be free from drugs.”

He explained that the objective was not to send the candidates or students away, but to rehabilitate them in collaboration with NDLEA.

The VC also disclosed that a total of 7,128 undergraduate students are due for graduation at the university’s 2023 convocation ceremony.

He listed those that would be graduating to also include 100 PhDs, 326 academic masters and 346 professional masters.

He said 40 students would be graduating with First Class, 474 with Second Class Upper, 944 Second Class Lower, 174 with third Class and one Pass degree.

He, however, said the university had banned Pass degree, going forward.

He added that the university would also confer honorary doctorate of Letters on Professor Toyin Falola of the University of Texas, Houston, for his role in the development and growth of the institution and other African universities at large.

Na’allah also explained that the institution would be introducing Russian Language as part of the general courses that students must pass before graduating.

This, he said, is to make new knowledge available to students.

“The university has developed into a global university with the offering of different languages, which include Japanese, French, Portuguese, among others.

“Efforts are being made to bring in full some of the foreign languages as degree programmes, but this institution has made it  compulsory in General Studies that every student must study and pass a foreign language before graduation.

“We are going to offer Russian language in addition to the foreign languages we offer. Students are made to offer and pass one of these foreign languages,” he said.

While noting the efforts made by the university to achieve its mandates, he said it had embarked on fund raising from alumni, philanthropists and also identifying foundations that would help in sponsoring research, training and others.

He also disclosed that the National Universities Commission (NUC) had approved 26 new academic programmes for the university.

According to him the university would now offer some of the new courses starting from the 2023/2024 academic session.

The courses include Nursing, Communication and Media Studies, Pharmacy, Tourism and hospitality, Agricultural engineering, among others.