Nigeria’s Next Drug Control Master Plan Must Address Emerging Threats — Marwa

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has charged each stakeholders progressive successful the ongoing improvement of the adjacent National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP 2026-2030) to guarantee that the strategy papers addresses caller and emerging threats that prolong the illicit cause commercialized successful Nigeria.

A connection signed by NDLEA Director, Media & Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said Marwa gave the admonition connected Monday successful Niger State successful his opening remarks astatine a five-day store to make the 5th National Drug Control Master Plan for the country. The residential retreat is funded by the ECOWAS Commission and supported by the United Nations Office connected Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

According to the NDLEA boss, “The task earlier america implicit the adjacent fewer days is some strategical and historic. The cause occupation continues to evolve, and truthful indispensable our response. The NDCMP 2026–2030 indispensable beryllium visionary yet practical; broad yet targeted; and nationally owned yet regionally and globally aligned. It indispensable physique connected the achievements of the past portion boldly addressing caller and emerging threats, from synthetic drugs to dark-web trafficking, from poly-substance usage to the illicit fiscal flows that prolong the cause trade.”

He reminded each the stakeholders that the store offers the uncommon accidental to deliberate, analyse and hold connected strategical priorities that volition signifier the trajectory of Nigeria’s effect for the adjacent 5 years. “It is present that we volition place what has worked, admit the gaps, and plan innovative pathways for the future,” helium added.

He urged each participants to bring to carnivore their expertise, acquisition and commitment, adding that the store was not conscionable astir producing different papers but astir charting a corporate imaginativeness to safeguard the health, information and wellbeing of Nigerians.

He reaffirmed the Agency’s readiness to supply leadership, coordination and method enactment to guarantee that the caller Master Plan was not lone developed but besides efficaciously implemented. “I besides pledge that we volition proceed to fortify collaboration with our partners, some wrong Nigeria and crossed the ECOWAS sub-region, for we cognize that the cause situation recognises nary borders,” helium stated.

He thanked the ECOWAS Commission “for sponsoring this workshop, and each our partners — the European Union, UNODC, civilian nine organisations, nonrecreational bodies and the backstage assemblage — for their continued collaboration. Together, we are shaping a aboriginal wherever Nigeria and West Africa volition beryllium safer, healthier and much secure.”

Speaking astatine the workshop, UNODC Country Representative, Cheikh Ousmane, who was represented by Dr. Akanidomo Ibanga, commended Nigeria’s cause power efforts truthful far. “Yet, we are each alert that the cause concern continues to evolve. Global and determination dynamics — whether related to caller psychoactive substances, organized transgression networks, oregon the interaction of struggle and economical pressures — each signifier section realities. Our effect indispensable truthful beryllium adaptive, coordinated, and inclusive. The Master Plan is the instrumentality done which this tin happen.

“This store offers a unsocial accidental to reappraisal the draught chapters, harmonize perspectives, and guarantee that the priorities identified bespeak some nationalist realities and planetary standards, including those enshrined successful the 3 planetary cause power conventions, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the African Union Plan of Action connected Drug Control,” helium stated.

While commending the enactment of the NDLEA and the Federal Ministry of Health, arsenic good arsenic each members of the inter-agency moving groups, for the dedication and expertise they brought to the process, helium said that their enactment volition service arsenic a compass for coordinated enactment implicit the coming years.

Also speaking during the opening ceremonial of the workshop, ECOWAS Commission Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, Prof Fatou Sow Sarr, represented by Dr. Daniel Amankwaah, noted that Nigeria, arsenic a cardinal stakeholder successful determination cause power efforts, has taken proactive steps to make nationalist strategies aligned with planetary champion practices.

“The Nigeria’s existent National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) volition expire this twelvemonth and a caller program needs to beryllium developed to code the emerging cause threats, trafficking patterns, and the expanding load of substance usage disorders. The caller NDCMP volition efficaciously respond to existent and aboriginal drug-related challenges.

“The ECOWAS Commission, successful enactment with its mandate to enactment Member States successful addressing drug-related issues, is providing method and fiscal assistance to Nigeria successful the elaboration of the caller NDCMP. This inaugural aligns with the objectives...