At the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, the NDLEA has showcased Nigeria’s drug control reforms as a model for institutional adaptation.
Presenting Nigeria’s statement themed “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation,” Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), represented by Secretary Shadrach Haruna, said the Agency has moved from enforcement-centric to an integrated, intelligence-led approach tackling criminal networks, illicit profits and vulnerabilities.
He disclosed that from January 2025 to September 2026, NDLEA made 38,242 arrests, seized 5.8m kg of illicit drugs worth over ₦2.5tn, secured 6,232 convictions and provided treatment to 16,303 persons. He cited ongoing Alternative Development pilots in three Ondo communities and digital tools like the Drug Integrity Test.
Marwa called for stronger international intelligence sharing, asset recovery, prevention and treatment expansion, and investment in enforcement capacity in developing countries, noting the reforms are anchored in the National Drug Control Master Plan 2026-2030.
