Nigeria’s anti-drug agency, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), is strengthening its fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking as it awaits President Bola Tinubu’s assent to its amended Act.
This development, praised by top government officials, was the highlight of discussions at the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Drug Control (IMC) meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday.
Delivering the keynote address, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, represented by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, noted that the amendment of the NDLEA Act would greatly strengthen the agency’s organizational capacity to disrupt drug trafficking networks and support effective management of proceeds of crime.
Fagbemi also acknowledged the efforts of other law enforcement agencies, state governments, and civil society organizations in the national drug response. He urged for expanded prevention programs that target the root causes of drug abuse, especially among youth, women, and vulnerable groups.
In his welcome remarks, NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), noted that while funding constraints had limited full implementation of the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP 2021–2025), the agency remained undeterred. He described the amended NDLEA Act as a timely and promising step towards enhancing the agency’s capacity in drug supply reduction.
Marwa provided an overview of the NDLEA’s recent achievements under the NDCMP strategic pillars. These include the arrest of 31,334 drug offenders, 6,839 convictions, seizure of over 4.3 million kilograms of illicit drugs, and destruction of over 426 hectares of cannabis farms. Additionally, the agency provided counseling and rehabilitation for over 19,000 individuals, while WADA campaigns continued to create nationwide awareness and encourage collective ownership in the fight against drug abuse.
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Country Representative, Cheikh Ousmane Toure – represented by Dr. Akani Ibanga – described Nigeria as standing at a crucial intersection of public health and security. He stressed the urgency of using data to guide interventions, noting that Nigeria accounts for 7.5% of global drug use disorders, with about 3 million people affected.
He called on stakeholders to follow through on the commitments in the NDCMP to address the growing challenges of substance abuse and ensure a united front in the final phase of its implementation.
