Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), has charged stakeholders in the ongoing development of the next National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP 2026-2030) to ensure that the document addresses new and emerging threats that sustain illicit drug trade in Nigeria.
He issued the admonition in Niger during his opening remarks at a five-day workshop aimed at developing the country’s fifth National Drug Control Master Plan.
The retreat is funded by the ECOWAS Commission and supported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
According to the NDLEA boss, “the task before us over the next few days is both strategic and historic. The drug problem continues to evolve, and so must our response.
“The NDCMP 2026–2030 must be visionary yet practical; comprehensive yet targeted; and nationally owned yet regionally and globally aligned. It must build on the achievements of the past while boldly addressing new and emerging threats, from synthetic drugs to dark-web trafficking, from poly-substance use to the illicit financial flows that sustain the drug trade.”
He reminded all stakeholders that the workshop offers a rare opportunity to deliberate, analyse, and agree on strategic priorities that will shape the trajectory of Nigeria’s response over the next five years.
He also urged participants to bring to bear their expertise, experience and commitment, adding that the workshop is not just about producing another document, but about charting a collective vision to safeguard the health, security and well-being of Nigerians.
Marwa reaffirmed the agency’s readiness to provide leadership, coordination and technical support to ensure that the new master plan is not only developed, but also effectively implemented.
He thanked the ECOWAS Commission “for sponsoring this workshop, and all our partners — the European Union, UNODC, civil society organisations, professional bodies and the private sector — for their continued collaboration.”
Speaking at the workshop, UNODC Country Representative, Cheikh Ousmane, represented by Dr Akanidomo Ibanga, lauded the country’s drug control efforts.
While commending the leadership of the NDLEA and the Federal Ministry of Health, as well as members of the inter-agency working groups for the dedication and expertise they bring to the process, he said their work would serve as a compass for coordinated action over the coming years.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, ECOWAS Commission Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, Prof. Fatou Sow Sarr, represented by Dr Daniel Amankwaah, noted that Nigeria, as a key stakeholder in regional drug control efforts, had taken proactive steps to develop national strategies that align with international best practices.
“Nigeria’s current National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) will expire this year, and a new plan needs to be developed to address the emerging drug threats, trafficking patterns, and the increasing burden of substance use disorders. The new NDCMP will effectively respond to current and future drug-related challenges.
Also, the National Association of Seadogs (NAS), in collaboration with the NDLEA, has alerted Nigerians to the adverse effects of drug abuse, alcoholism and homelessness, calling for concerted efforts to tackle the menace.
This comes as UNODC disclosed that about 14.3 million Nigerians – among the global highest – are either taking psychoactive substances or are addicted to it.
Addressing an advocacy rally in Lagos after a road walk, Capoon of the Saratoga X chapter, Emeka Achonu, said it was “also to encourage a change of perception to the stigma of street-child and homelessness from abandonment to empathy and support, as a way of combating the menace and effects of drug abuse.”
He continued: “We are campaigning about it to let people know that this is a big issue, and that something needs to be done about it.
“We are speaking to the government and interested associations, including the NDLEA, which is here with us.
“There is a correlation between drug abuse and homelessness. Most people who take illicit substances are mostly people who are away from their homes, without shelter, without medical care, and living in the streets, and keeping bad company.”
Explaining the correlation, he stated that drugs and illegal substances affect one’s life, job and source of income, “and the end point is loss of job, family, addiction and homelessness.”
