National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has presented its drug control reforms at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, urging stronger international intelligence-sharing, action against illicit financial networks and investment in drug control institutions.
Nigeria’s statement was delivered on Monday, October 12, 2026, by the agency’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), represented by its Secretary, Shadrach Haruna.
The session’s theme is “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that Delivers for All.”
Marwa said Nigeria had transformed the NDLEA from a predominantly enforcement-focused organisation into an integrated, intelligence-led and people-centred agency.
He said the approach combines law enforcement, public health, technology, financial investigations, alternative livelihoods and international cooperation to address the evolving drug trade.
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Marwa attributed the reforms to increasingly sophisticated trafficking networks, the use of technology for illicit activities and the rapid movement of criminal proceeds across borders.
He said drug dependence also continued to affect individuals, families and communities, requiring Nigeria to address not only drugs and offenders but also the criminal networks, illicit profits and vulnerabilities sustaining the drug economy.
According to him, between January 2025 and September 2026, the NDLEA arrested 38,242 suspects, seized more than 5.8 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs valued at over 2.5 trillion naira and secured 6,232 convictions.
During the same period, more than 16,303 people received counselling, treatment or rehabilitation, while prevention and public awareness programmes reached millions of Nigerians.
Marwa said Nigeria was increasingly prioritising the dismantling of major traffickers, organised criminal structures and the financial networks supporting the illicit drug trade.
He explained that the agency’s performance should not be measured solely by arrests and drug seizures, but also by its ability to disrupt the wider criminal economy.
The NDLEA chief also highlighted Nigeria’s Alternative Development initiative, which is being piloted in three communities in Ondo State.
The programme supports residents in transitioning from illicit cannabis cultivation to legitimate agricultural production.
Marwa said sustainable drug control required more than removing illicit crops. It also depended on viable economic alternatives that could improve food security, strengthen community resilience and support national security.
He further cited the agency’s Drug Integrity Test and Visa E-Administration System as examples of how digital tools could improve accessibility, efficiency, transparency and integrity in public administration.
According to him, Nigeria is consolidating these reforms through its National Drug Control Master Plan 2026–2030.
The plan covers six pillars: drug supply reduction, drug demand reduction, access to controlled medicines, governance and coordination, alternative development, and disruption of the illicit drug economy.
Nigeria urged the international community to improve timely intelligence-sharing to prevent trafficking networks from exploiting gaps between national jurisdictions.
It also called for stronger action against illicit financial networks through financial investigations, asset tracing and recovery.
The country stressed that prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration must complement law enforcement efforts.
In addition, Nigeria called for expanded support for alternative development programmes that help communities abandon illicit cultivation in favour of sustainable livelihoods.
It urged international partners to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement officers to respond to the growing sophistication and innovation of drug cartels.
Nigeria also called for greater investment in institutions, particularly in developing countries, through technology, training, forensic capabilities, treatment infrastructure and sustained technical assistance.
Marwa described Nigeria’s drug control transformation as an ongoing process rather than a completed model, expressing the country’s readiness to share lessons and learn from other nations.
He said cooperation among UN member states, the United Nations and international partners remained essential to translating commitments into practical action.
