NDLEA Pushes Multi-Sector Strategy To Curb Drug Abuse

NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (Retd.), has called on government institutions, security agencies, civil society groups and community leaders to strengthen joint action against substance abuse and drug trafficking in Nigeria.

He gave the charge while addressing participants at the 7th Security and Emergency Management Awards and Conference (SAEMA 2025), held on Wednesday at the agency’s national headquarters in Abuja.

The conference, organised annually, brought together the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and the International Emergency Management Society (TIEMS), reflecting a broad coalition committed to tackling Nigeria’s growing drug and security challenges.

This year’s event also featured the unveiling of Anti-Drug, Anti-Smuggling Campaigns: A Corpers’ Chronicle, a book authored by corps members Arafat Abdulrazaq and Tahir Ahmad.

Marwa told participants that the agency planned to expand the momentum built in the last five years by reinforcing interdictions and prioritising treatment, rehabilitation and prevention programmes.

“The task before us, which is securing our nation, is a shared responsibility.

“The awards presented today are a reminder that all security agencies, emergency responders, and civil society partners are working towards the same goal: a safe, stable, and prosperous Nigeria,” he said.

He restated NDLEA’s commitment to a balanced drug-control strategy that addresses both supply and demand.

Marwa also stressed the need for broad-based collaboration involving law enforcement agencies, traditional and religious institutions, educators, civil society groups and the wider community.

“This menace demands a multi-sectoral response involving law enforcement agencies, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, educators, the media, and the entire community.

“This is why I can’t but commend IMPR and its partners for this initiative as well as choosing “Drug Control and National Security: Innovations for a Safer Tomorrow” as the theme for SAEMA 2025,” he said.

CISLAC Executive Director, Auwal Rafsanjani, commended Marwa’s leadership of the NDLEA and praised the agency’s efforts to confront criminal networks involved in drug trafficking.

He said Marwa’s interventions had helped shield young Nigerians from the dangers of substance abuse.

“His work, you can see it every day. Every day, we hear about drugs being intercepted and taken out of the hands of the public.

“The incredible amount of work that General Marwa is doing for this country, I don’t think people have even sat down to reflect.

“Because if you see the danger that our young people have been going through as a result of taking drugs, it’s incredible.

“Equally important, we know that there’s no way you can also detach issues of drug abuse from the issues of security in this country,” he maintained.

He described the award ceremony as recognition for individuals and institutions making sacrifices to keep the country safe, noting that many security operatives operate under intense risk with limited public appreciation.

Rafsanjani reaffirmed CISLAC’s commitment to supporting security forces and strengthening public awareness on safety and accountability.

“So, for us, as an organisation, we appreciate the tremendous work that our security personnel are doing in this country.

“And we will continue to support every effort to boost their morale, to give them the necessary credible information so that they can continue to make this country safe and better for us.

“Both at the level of Amnesty International, which I chair the board, Transparency International, which I head, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, which I also head.

“We’re all in this solidarity and support to the tremendous effort that our security personnel are putting in this country.

“And we will continue to support them, and we will continue to ensure that we urge other Nigerians to also do the same,” he emphasised.