NDLEA Urges Global Cooperation Against Drug Trafficking, Highlights Nigeria’s Reforms at UN Assembly
Oru Leonard
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has showcased Nigeria’s evolving drug control strategy at the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), in New York, highlighting significant enforcement results and calling for stronger international cooperation to combat drug trafficking.
The agency also urged the international community to strengthen intelligence-sharing, intensify efforts against illicit financial networks and increase investment in drug control institutions, particularly in developing countries.
The position was presented on Monday, October 12, 2026, in Nigeria’s statement delivered at the ongoing UN General Assembly session themed, “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that Delivers for All.”
The NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), was represented at the session by the agency’s Secretary, Shadrach Haruna.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Marwa explained that Nigeria had transformed its drug control system from a predominantly enforcement-focused structure into an integrated, intelligence-driven and people-centred approach.
He said the new strategy combines law enforcement, public health, technology, financial investigations, alternative livelihoods and international cooperation to address the growing complexities of drug trafficking and substance abuse.
Marwa attributed the transformation to the changing nature of the drug trade, noting that trafficking networks had become increasingly sophisticated, technology had created new channels for illicit activities, and criminal proceeds were moving rapidly across national borders.
He said Nigeria had consequently expanded its focus beyond drugs and offenders to include the criminal networks, illicit profits and vulnerabilities sustaining the drug economy.
NDLEA Records Major Enforcement Gains
Highlighting the agency’s operational achievements, Marwa disclosed that between January 2025 and September 2026, the NDLEA recorded 38,242 arrests, seized more than 5.8 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs valued at over N2.5 trillion and secured 6,232 convictions.
He added that more than 16,303 people received counselling, treatment or rehabilitation during the period, while drug prevention and public sensitisation campaigns reached millions of Nigerians.
The NDLEA chief said the agency was increasingly prioritising the dismantling of major trafficking networks, organised criminal structures and the financial systems supporting the illicit drug trade, rather than measuring success solely by arrests and seizures.
He maintained that disrupting the financial operations of drug cartels was essential to weakening their influence and preventing them from expanding their activities.
Alternative Livelihoods for Cannabis Farmers
Marwa also highlighted the NDLEA’s Alternative Development initiative, currently being piloted in three communities in Ondo State, where residents are being supported to move away from illicit cannabis cultivation towards legitimate agricultural production.
He explained that sustainable drug control required more than destroying illicit crops, stressing the need to provide affected communities with viable economic alternatives.
According to him, such interventions can contribute to food security, strengthen community resilience and improve national security by reducing dependence on illicit cultivation.
The initiative forms part of Nigeria’s broader effort to address the economic conditions that enable the illegal drug trade to thrive.
The NDLEA chairman also cited the agency’s Drug Integrity Test and Visa E-Administration System as examples of how digital innovation could improve accessibility, efficiency, transparency and accountability in public administration.
He said the reforms were being consolidated under the National Drug Control Master Plan 2026–2030, which provides a framework for coordinating Nigeria’s response to drug-related challenges.
The plan is built around six pillars: drug supply reduction, drug demand reduction, access to controlled medicines, governance and coordination, alternative development, and disruption of the illicit drug economy.
At the UN gathering, Nigeria called for more timely intelligence-sharing among countries to prevent criminal networks from exploiting gaps between jurisdictions.
The country also urged governments to intensify financial investigations, asset tracing and recovery to weaken the economic foundations of drug trafficking organisations.
Other priorities outlined in the statement included increased support for prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration programmes; expanded assistance for alternative development initiatives; and capacity-building for law enforcement officers to keep pace with the growing sophistication of drug cartels.
Nigeria further called for greater investment in institutions responsible for drug control, particularly in developing countries, through technology, training, forensic capabilities, treatment infrastructure and sustained technical assistance.
Marwa stressed that restoring public trust depended on delivering tangible results, while managing transformation required effective partnerships among governments, international organisations and other stakeholders.
He described Nigeria’s experience as an ongoing process rather than a finished model, expressing the country’s readiness to share lessons, learn from other nations and collaborate with UN member states and international partners.
He said the ultimate objective was to translate international commitments into practical implementation, strengthen cooperation through collective action and ensure that institutional reforms produced measurable results.
The NDLEA maintained that sustained international cooperation, stronger institutions and a balanced approach combining enforcement with prevention, treatment and economic alternatives remain essential to tackling the global drug problem.
(NDLEA Media)
