The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (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 between January 2025 and September 2026, a 21-month reporting period.

The figures were disclosed at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, where Nigeria presented its drug control strategy as a case study in adapting institutions to evolving security threats.
Nigeria’s statement was delivered on Monday, October 12, by Shadrach Haruna, Secretary of the NDLEA, who represented the agency’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd.).
. The statement was presented under the session’s theme, “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that Delivers for All.”

In the statement, Marwa said the agency had evolved from a predominantly enforcement-focused organisation into an intelligence-led institution combining law enforcement, public health interventions, financial investigations, technology and international cooperation.

He attributed the shift to increasingly sophisticated trafficking networks, the use of technology for illicit activities and the rapid movement of criminal proceeds across borders.
“Drug dependence continues to affect individuals, families and communities. Nigeria therefore broadened its focus from drugs and offenders alone to the criminal networks, illicit profits and vulnerabilities that sustain the drug economy,” he said.

Marwa added that more than 16,303 people received counselling, treatment or rehabilitation during the 21-month period, while prevention and sensitisation programmes reached millions of Nigerians.
He said the agency was prioritising the dismantling of major trafficking networks and their financial structures, rather than measuring performance solely by arrests and seizures.

He also highlighted the NDLEA’s Alternative Development initiative, being piloted in three communities in Ondo State to help residents transition from illicit cannabis cultivation to legitimate agriculture.
The programme aims to provide sustainable livelihoods while strengthening food security and community resilience.
Marwa cited the agency’s Drug Integrity Test and Visa E-Administration System as examples of digital tools designed to improve accessibility, efficiency and transparency in public administration.

He said these initiatives were being consolidated under the National Drug Control Master Plan 2026–2030, which covers six areas: drug supply reduction, drug demand reduction, access to controlled medicines, governance and coordination, alternative development, and disruption of the illicit drug economy.
At the international level, Nigeria called for stronger intelligence-sharing among countries, intensified action against illicit financial flows through investigations and asset recovery, and expanded access to drug prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration services.

The country also urged greater support for alternative livelihoods in communities affected by illicit cultivation, capacity-building for law enforcement officers and increased investment in institutions in developing countries.
Such investment, it said, should cover technology, training, forensic capabilities, treatment infrastructure and sustained technical assistance.

Describing Nigeria’s drug control reforms as an ongoing process rather than a finished model, Marwa said the country was ready to share its experiences, learn from other nations and work with UN member states and international partners to achieve measurable results.