FG to Tackle Drug Trafficking, Substance Abuse at National Summit

By Zainab Uzomah | Abuja

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to preventing illicit drug use, dismantling drug trafficking networks, expanding access to treatment and rehabilitation, and safeguarding the wellbeing of Nigerians.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, gave the assurance on Wednesday at the opening of the National Drug Use Summit in Abuja, themed “Addressing Illicit Drug Use and Trafficking: A Call to National Action.”

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, General Services Office, Dr. Adamu Ibrahim Kana, Akume said the administration of President Bola Tinubu remained committed to combating substance abuse as part of its Renewed Hope Agenda.

“No nation can achieve sustainable development when its young population is threatened by drug abuse and addiction,” he said, adding that the government would continue to support initiatives aimed at preventing drug abuse, dismantling trafficking networks and strengthening treatment and rehabilitation services.

He described the summit, jointly organised by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), as an opportunity to strengthen collaboration and develop coordinated strategies to address Nigeria’s drug challenge.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, retired Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa, said the summit was convened to mobilise a coordinated national response to the growing burden of drug use and substance use disorders.

Marwa said while the agency had recorded significant successes in reducing drug supply and expanding prevention programmes, the scale of the challenge required a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach.

He said the summit would help build consensus around a National Action Plan focused on prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, data collection, policy implementation and community resilience.

Highlighting the agency’s recent achievements, Marwa disclosed that between January 2025 and June 2026, NDLEA arrested 29,262 suspects, seized more than 5.3 million kilograms of illicit drugs valued at over ₦1.5 trillion, and secured 5,225 convictions.

He added that the agency conducted 6,645 drug prevention sensitisation programmes nationwide, reaching nearly five million Nigerians, while 13,508 drug users received counselling, treatment and rehabilitation across its 31 rehabilitation centres.

Marwa also noted the launch of the Alternative Development Initiative for cannabis growers to encourage a transition from illicit cultivation to sustainable agricultural livelihoods.

Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, urged stakeholders to ensure the summit produces tangible outcomes rather than declarations.

“The measure of this summit will not be the communique. It will be the number of young people who choose not to start drugs, the number of patients who recover, and the number of families restored,” he said.

The UNODC Country Representative, Mr Cheikh Toure, represented by Dr Akanidomo Ibanga, said the summit came at a critical time as emerging substances and changing patterns of drug use continued to pose new challenges.

He called for stronger implementation of Nigeria’s National Drug Control Master Plan, urging stakeholders to translate commitments into practical and measurable action.

The summit brought together representatives of government ministries, security agencies, development partners, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to develop strategies for addressing illicit drug use and trafficking across the country.