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By Lizzy Chirkpi
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has warned that Nigeria is facing an increasingly dangerous and sophisticated drug crisis driven by synthetic substances, digital trafficking networks and rising abuse among youths.
Marwa raised the alarm on Monday in Abuja during the opening of a two-day consultative forum on the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) 2026–2030, where international partners including the European Union (EU), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and ECOWAS pledged continued support for Nigeria’s anti-drug campaign.
According to Marwa, projections by the UNODC indicate that drug use across Africa could rise by 40 percent before 2030, while West Africa continues to serve as a major transit corridor for cocaine trafficking between Latin America and Europe.
He said, “Our drug landscape is becoming increasingly complex as we battle the surge of synthetic substances and prescription drug abuse; the rise of poly-drug use and New Psychoactive Substances (NPS); and the digitalization of the drug trade, where encrypted platforms and dark-web operations shield illicit assets from traditional law enforcement.”
The NDLEA boss stressed that Nigeria could not afford to remain passive considering the threats posed to national security, public health and the country’s workforce.
“As Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy, Nigeria cannot afford to be a passive observer. The risks to our youth, our workforce, and our national security are too high,” he stated.
Marwa explained that the proposed 2026–2030 master plan would focus on disrupting the financial structures sustaining drug cartels, while also introducing programmes aimed at tackling the socio-economic conditions fuelling the illicit drug trade.
He noted that, “The new plan introduces two critical pillars to our strategy: Alternative Development and Sustainable Livelihoods, which addresses the socio-economic drivers of the drug trade, as well as disrupting the illicit drug economy using financial intelligence to choke the lifeblood of trafficking networks.”
The European Union, through its Deputy Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Zissimos Vergos, reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s drug control initiatives, describing drug trafficking as a global security challenge.
Vergos said, “Nigeria’s stability and Europe’s security are inseparable. What affects the youth of Maiduguri or the streets of Ibadan does not stay within Nigerian borders.”
He added that the EU remained committed to building stronger international cooperation with Nigeria in line with its updated drug strategy and action plan.
Similarly, the UNODC Country Representative, Mr. Chiekh Ousmane Touré, warned that trafficking networks were becoming more advanced due to technology and the growing spread of synthetic drugs.
According to him, “Nigeria stands at the intersections of this. This underscores the urgency of developing a master plan that is not only comprehensive and balanced, but also data-driven, forward-looking, and adaptable to emerging threats.”
Touré assured that the UNODC would continue to provide technical support and global expertise to strengthen Nigeria’s response to drug abuse, trafficking, prevention and rehabilitation.
Also speaking, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, Dr. Daniel Amankwaah, described Nigeria’s drug control framework as critical to the wider regional strategy against narcotics trafficking.
He said ECOWAS would continue to support both the implementation and monitoring of the new master plan.
Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, commended the NDLEA for its advocacy and enforcement efforts, stressing the need for a multi-sectoral approach involving education, healthcare, law enforcement and community engagement to effectively tackle substance abuse across the country.
The forum brought together government officials, lawmakers, development partners, security agencies and drug control experts to review Nigeria’s previous drug control strategy and develop a new roadmap for the next five years.