Retired Brig.-Gen Buba Marwa, the Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said that the ongoing amendment of the NDLEA Act, when passed into law, will significantly enhance the organisational capability of the agency.
This, he said, would help to curb the menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country.
Marwa said this in his remarks at the opening ceremony of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Drug Control meeting on Thursday in Abuja.
He acknowledged the existence of funding challenge, which he said was limiting the agency’s capabilities in various ways.
He, however, added that the agency was looking forward to some positive developments that would lend impetus to the attainment of its set
objectives.
“One of such developments is the amendment of the NDLEA Act, which will significantly enhance the organisational capability of our agency in drug supply reduction.
“The hearing of the amended bill is making progress in the National Assembly and we look forward to it scaling the final hurdle.”
Marwa acknowledged the tremendous work of the IMC in the implementation of the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) 2021-2025.
The NDLEA boss said the collaboration from stakeholders toward achieving the stated goals of the NDCMP also deserved appreciation.
He outlined some of the activities and achievements of NDLEA in 2023 in line with the national action plan on drug control.
He said “after taking stock of key programmes implemented across the strategic pillars in 2022 and 2023, I can say that we have
recorded significant progress on the 4th National Plan (NDCMP 2021-2025) compared to previous ones.
“Under the Supply Reduction Pillar, our operations and offensive action led to the arrest of 13,664 drug traffickers, of whom, 3,412 have been convicted in 2023.
“We recorded the seizure of 1.61 million kilogrammes of assorted illicit drugs, and we carried out the destruction of 206.5 hectares of cannabis farms.
“In Drug Demand Reduction, we recorded the counselling and rehabilitation of 10,904 individuals.
“The implementation of War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy across states, local government areas, wards, and communities boosted the attainment
of some set targets under the Drug Demand Reduction Pillar.
“Ramping up our WADA sensitisation activities enabled us to reach different target groups, and by the same token, facilitated the diffusion of shared ownership
of the effort to curb the proliferation, trafficking and abuse of illicit substances in the country.”
The chairman said there had also been momentous developments in 2022-2023 that were helpful to the attainment of the agency’s targets.
“Among others, these include Nigeria’s hosting of the 30th Conference of the Heads of Drug Law Enforcement Agencies, Africa (HONLEA) in September 2023.
“The commissioning of the NDLEA toll-free helpline, which helped to bridge the gap between people who need treatment and the care provider, among others.”
In his remarks, Country Representative of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, (UNODC), Oliver Stolpe, said that the achievements over the past years in enhancing law enforcement were all milestones that NDLEA created.
These, he said, included increased accessibility to treatment and rolling out prevention, and recently, including harm reduction and Alternative Development.
He said “the UNODC is grateful.
“We hope that during the presentation by Nigeria at IMC International Midterm Review, Nigeria makes a great contribution to the world and inspires others in ways to take this fight against drug use and supply to the next level.”
Representative of ECOWAS Commission, Dr Daniel Amankwaah, also said that ECOWAS was excited about the NDLEA drug control master plan.
This, he said, was because the commission took inspiration from the NDLEA master plan to encourage other countries to develop their own master plan.
He added that “I am glad to announce that of the 15 ECOWAS countries, 14 have developed their master plans.
“This is to say, 99 per cent of the countries have developed theirs and it is all thanks to the template of the NDLEA.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event had stakeholders from Ministries, Departments and Agencies, as well as local and international partners in attendance.
