Ahead of the June 26 commemoration of World Drug Day, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), conducted a street walk session to draw the attention of Lagos residents to the dangers of drug abuse.

Leading officials on a walk in Lagos as part of the agency’s week-long activities marking the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, also known as World Drug Day, the Commander of Narcotics, Mohammed Ahmed, expressed the anti-narcotics agency’s commitment to the continued targeting of criminal networks to cut off their lifeblood.

This comes as the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Marwa (rtd), described World Drug Day as a “vital occasion during which our collective efforts against the illicit drug menace are evaluated, refined, and given a definitive policy direction for the subsequent 12 months.”

Speaking on the 2026 theme, “The World Drug Problem: Persisting Issues, New Challenges, Innovative Responses,” which highlights the need for enhanced global cooperation against substance abuse and trafficking, Marwa said it underscores the evolving dynamic of the global drug landscape.

According to him, “it acknowledges that while old battlegrounds remain, new synthetic threats, sophisticated trafficking networks, and digital illicit markets have emerged, demanding that we counter them with proactive, technology-driven, and highly innovative responses.”

Marwa, who was represented by this secretary, Shadrach Haruna, at a joint media briefing by NDLEA and UNODC in Abuja over the weekend, stated that the agency has “long recognised that old strategies cannot solve new problems.

Therefore, “under the continuous support of the federal government and our diverse stakeholders, we have heavily modernised our operations and balanced our enforcement capabilities with aggressive social advocacy.

“Our War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative remains our primary vehicle for preventive action, and it has been refitted to address these new challenges by leveraging data, community intelligence, and innovative public enlightenment tools to protect our youth from falling victim to illicit substances.”

Speaking on the agency’s recent operational milestones, which he said directly mirror its readiness to confront persisting issues and new challenges, Marwa noted that the WADA programme, which was launched on World Drug Day 2021, has matured into a formidable “whole-of-society approach.

According to him, “it has successfully bridged the gap between law enforcement and the citizenry, turning ordinary Nigerians into active stakeholders in the war against drug abuse,” while on the enforcement front, the agency’s “Offensive Action” against drug cartels, launched in January 2021, has “continued to dismantle complex syndicates, leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of major drug barons,” among others.

In his remark, the UNODC Country Representative, Cheikh Toure, said the world drug problem is not static, but evolving. According to Toure, who was represented by the Deputy Country Representative, Mr Danielo Campisi, “Nigeria stands at a critical point where it must address long-standing challenges while adapting to new realities.

“As we reflect on this theme today, let us remember: No single institution can address these challenges alone. Progress depends on partnership, shared responsibility, and sustained action. The problem persists, but it is not insurmountable; the challenges are evolving, but so are our solutions, and our response must be united, informed, and forward-looking.