LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- Nigeria’s fight against drug abuse is entering a critical phase following fresh warnings from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over the rapid spread of synthetic substances, prescription drug misuse, and illicit trafficking operations.
Speaking at the opening of a two-day National Drug Control Master Plan Consultative Forum in Abuja on Monday, NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, said the country must confront the changing realities of drug-related crimes despite progress recorded in recent years.
According to him, projections by the United Nations Office on Drugs Crime (UNODC) show that drug use across Africa could rise by 40 percent before 2030.
He also noted that reports from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime identified West Africa as a major route for cocaine trafficking between Latin America and Europe.
Marwa explained that Nigeria’s drug crisis is becoming more complicated due to the increasing circulation of synthetic drugs, abuse of prescription medications, poly-drug consumption, New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), and online drug trafficking through encrypted platforms, known as dark web channels.
“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 said.
He described the ongoing forum as a strategic planning session aimed at finalizing the Zero Draft of the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) 2026–2030, which will guide the country’s anti-drug efforts over the next five years.
Marwa said the proposed plan introduces fresh strategies, including Alternative Development Sustainable Livelihoods initiatives designed to tackle the economic conditions driving the drug trade.
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He added that authorities also plan to target the financial structures supporting trafficking networks through intelligence-driven operations.
“This forum is therefore our battle room for the next five years,” Marwa stated.
The NDLEA boss further urged stakeholders to treat the drug problem as a real-life issue affecting homes, schools, and communities across Nigeria.
He warned that the country must act urgently to protect the mental state of young people for national security.
“We are here not just as policy-makers and experts, but as parents, citizens, and guardians of the next generation. Despite our different backgrounds, our goal is singular and that is a drug-free Nigeria,” Marwa added.
He encouraged participants to challenge existing approaches, introduce new ideas, and develop practical solutions capable of improving national safety over the next half decade.
In support of the new initiative, the Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs Crime, Cheikh Toure, called for stronger community participation in Nigeria’s drug control strategy.
Toure stressed that the country’s anti-drug response cannot succeed through federal efforts alone, especially in a nation with 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory, and 774 local government areas.
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“State and local governments must take ownership of the response by providing funding, integrating drug control priorities into development plans, and ensuring services reach grassroots communities,” Toure said.
He also emphasized the need to involve young people more actively in prevention response programmes, describing them as both vulnerable targets and critical partners in combating drug abuse.
Toure highlighted the importance of gender inclusion, noting that women and girls face unique risks linked to substance abuse but remain essential to prevention and treatment efforts within communities.
In addition, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, also praised the NDLEA for its continued enforcement, advocacy rehabilitation programmes aimed at reducing drug abuse and illicit trafficking nationwide.
She said stronger collaboration between the education, healthcare, law enforcement, and social support sectors would be necessary to address both the causes and consequences of substance abuse.
“As we work collectively to develop a robust and responsive National Drug Control Master Plan, it is important that we adopt a holistic and multi-sectoral approach that integrates education, healthcare, law enforcement, community engagement, and social support systems,” Ahmad said.
The consultative forum is expected to shape Nigeria’s next national drug strategy, with stakeholders pushing for practical policies capable of reducing substance abuse across the country.
