By Esther Ososanya
As part of this year’s World Drug Day commemorations, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has vowed to escalate its war against illicit drugs and trafficking with a modernized approach, while calling on Nigerians to take greater ownership of the nationwide anti-drug campaign.
Speaking at a joint press briefing with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Wednesday in Abuja, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), said the agency is adopting smarter enforcement tools and expanding community engagement strategies to curb the scourge.
The briefing which held at the agency’s national headquarters, served as a prelude to a weeklong event lined up to mark the international observance themed, “The Evidence is Clear, Invest in Prevention.”
Marwa said the theme would guide the agency’s outreach and advocacy activities over the next 12 months, noting that NDLEA will intensify its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign across homes, schools, communities, places of worship, and workplaces.
He disclosed that a series of public focused events would culminate in a grand finale at the State House Conference Centre on June 26. Key activities include a Juma’at prayer service on Friday, June 20; a Walk Against Drug Abuse on Saturday, June 21, in partnership with MTN Nigeria Foundation and the University of Abuja; and a thanksgiving service at Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries in Abuja on Sunday, June 22.
Other activities lined up includes a youth targeted essay competition themed “Why I Must Not Take Drugs” scheduled for Monday, June 23, alongside NGO led interventions. On Tuesday, June 24, an outreach programme targeting out-of-school youths will take place in markets and motor parks across the Federal Capital Territory’s Area Councils.
Marwa revealed that the NDLEA has stepped up its operations with a major technological upgrade. “We are modernising our approach to drug law enforcement by embedding innovation in our operations. Notably, he said the use of body cameras has now been fully integrated into our field activities,”
He also highlighted infrastructural achievements under his leadership, including the commissioning of barracks in Yola and Kano, a rehabilitation centre in Kano, and ongoing projects in Abuja and Lagos nearing completion.
UNODC’s Deputy Head in Nigeria, Danilo Campisi, who represented Country Representative Cheikh Ousman Toure, echoed Marwa’s call for grassroots engagement. He stressed that drug trafficking is tightly linked with other criminal enterprises such as human trafficking, illegal mining, and terrorism.
He called for sub national collaboration, urging state governments to take active roles in drug prevention and treatment programmes. “We will not make significant progress if interventions continue to be centralized,” he noted.
Campisi reaffirmed UNODC’s commitment to partnering with Nigeria on law enforcement training, joint investigations, forensic strengthening, and intelligence-sharing frameworks.
Commending Marwa’s leadership, Campisi said: “UNODC is proud to be part of this vital journey with the Nigerian government, civil society, and communities to dismantle criminal networks, prevent addiction, and restore hope through recovery.”
Esther Ososanya is an investigative journalist with Pinnacle Daily, reporting across health, business, environment, metro, Fct and crime. Known for her bold, empathetic storytelling, she uncovers hidden truths, challenges broken systems, and gives voice to overlooked Nigerians. Her work drives national conversations and demands accountability one powerful story at a time.