Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), yesterday, affirmed that the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP 2026-2030) would strengthen Nigeria’s ongoing drug control efforts.

He spoke at the agency’s national headquarters in Abuja while receiving the final summative evaluation report on the performance of the NDCMP 2021-2025.

Marwa said that with the serious and holistic efforts being put into preparations for the next master plan, its implementation, when finally produced, would have a significant positive impact on the nation’s public health and national security.

He commended the team of consultants, led by Prof. Ibrahim Abdu Wakawa, Head of Mental Health Department, University of Maiduguri, who worked on the evaluation of the implementation of the NDCMP 2021-2025, for doing an excellent job.

The NDLEA boss said: “I must commend your commitment, diligence and the excellent job you have done on the evaluation of the NDCMP 2021-2025. Your acknowledgement of the successes recorded by the agency in the course of implementing the drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction pillars of the master plan is equally well appreciated.

I want it on record that by the time the NDCMP 2026-2030 is fully ready and implemented, we’ll achieve much more under the renewed hope administration of President Bola Tinubu to the benefit of Nigerians and the country.”

Speaking earlier, Wakawa commended Marwa’s leadership, which has led the agency to surpass most of the expectations listed in the 2021-2025 master plan. He expressed confidence that the agency would bridge any identified gap, especially in the area of drug demand reduction in the course of implementing the 2026-2030 master plan.

Wakawa was joined by two other members of his team: Mrs Ngozi Oguejiofor and Mrs Ibiba Odili, who both retired as Assistant Commander General of Narcotics (ACGN) and headed the NDCMP secretariat at different times in the agency.