The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, and the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig-Gen Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), have expressed hope that the recent amendment of the NDLEA Act by the National Assembly will bolster Nigeria’s drug control efforts once it is signed into law by President Bola Tinubu.
They stated this on Wednesday while speaking at the opening ceremony of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Drug Control meeting held in Abuja.
In his keynote address, Fagbemi noted that the country has witnessed unprecedented efforts by the NDLEA over the past four years. These achievements, he said, include arrests, seizures, convictions, and elaborate evidence-based drug demand reduction interventions. He also highlighted the use of the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy platform to sensitize communities about the dangers of drug abuse.
“Consistent gains have been recorded globally by fostering international cooperation and building strong partnerships. The NDLEA has sustained the fight with renewed energy and vigour, giving hope to what was once a hopeless situation.
“The Federal Ministry of Justice has worked alongside the NDLEA to ensure that our national legal system effectively supports the agency’s drug control efforts.
“We are in the final stages of amending the NDLEA Act, which will significantly enhance the agency’s capacity to combat substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria. The Ministry is also providing vital support in managing proceeds of crime, which is essential to dismantling the financial networks of drug traffickers,” he said.
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The minister, who was represented by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, added that the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee has been crucial in coordinating the government’s approach to the issue.
He commended state governments that have established their own drug control committees and the civil society organizations working at the community level to ensure more holistic outcomes.
The AGF urged the gathering to expand prevention programs to address the root causes of drug abuse, particularly among youths, women, and other vulnerable or marginalized groups.
In his welcome remarks, Marwa said that despite funding challenges that affected the full implementation of the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP 2021–2025), the agency remained undeterred in pursuing its goals.
“Instead, we remain resolute, drawing strength from our shared vision, commitment, and collective responsibility to overcome this limitation. Encouragingly, certain developments promise to bolster the achievement of our objectives.
“One such step is the amendment of the NDLEA Act, which is expected to significantly strengthen the agency’s institutional capacity for drug supply reduction. I am pleased to inform this esteemed assembly that the amended Act has been passed by the National Assembly and is currently awaiting presidential assent.”
While calling on all stakeholders to redouble their efforts, the NDLEA boss said: “I urge us all to renew our energy and resolve to deliver the impact and value needed to confront Nigeria’s evolving and multifaceted drug challenges. Let us bring our voices, passion, and optimism to bear in our deliberations.
“May we remain open and forthright in the pursuit of our shared goal: enhancing the health and security of all residents of Nigeria, in line with the aspirations of the NDCMP 2021–2025.”
Assessing major programmes implemented across the strategic pillars of the NDCMP in 2023 and 2024, Marwa stated: “I can confirm that we have collectively made commendable progress on the Fourth National Action Plan, compared to previous iterations.
“Under the Supply Reduction pillar, our operational efforts and strategic offensives led to the arrest of 31,334 drug offenders, of whom 6,839 were convicted. We also recorded the seizure of 4,333,636.9 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs and destroyed 426.46724 hectares of cannabis farms.
“Under the Drug Demand Reduction pillar, we provided counselling and rehabilitation services to 19,033 individuals. By accelerating our WADA sensitization activities across states, local government areas, wards, and communities, we have intentionally spread awareness of the dangers of drug abuse to diverse population groups.”
Also speaking at the ceremony, UNODC Country Representative Cheikh Ousmane Toure, represented by Dr. Akani Ibanga, said Nigeria stands at the crossroads of public health and the security sector regarding drug response.
“The urgency of our mission today cannot be overstated. Drug use is associated with various issues—from health and safety to productivity, social cohesion, and how we respond at the community level,” he said.
Tasking the gathering, he added: “As we convene, we must be guided by data. I’m pleased with how the chairman detailed the responses across sectors—supply reduction, demand reduction, and access to medications.
“In a country where at least three million people are said to suffer from drug use disorders—contributing 7.5% to the global figure of 39.5 million—this is worrisome. It calls for our continued commitment in this final phase of implementing the NDCMP to ensure we fulfill all the laid-out objectives and address the challenges we face,” he concluded.
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