The Federal Government has reaffirmed its determination to dismantle drug trafficking networks, expand treatment access, and safeguard Nigerians from substance abuse. Secretary to the Government of the Federation Senator George Akume made this pledge at the opening of the National Drug Use Summit in Abuja on Wednesday.
The summit, themed "Addressing Illicit Drug Use and Trafficking: A Call to National Action," brought together 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). Akume, represented by Permanent Secretary of the General Services Office Dr.
Adamu Ibrahim Kana, said the administration remained committed to stopping illicit drug use and strengthening rehabilitation services.
He stressed that no country can pursue sustainable development if its young people face the threat of addiction and substance abuse. Criminal drug networks undermine national security and prey on vulnerable populations, he added.
The summit gives stakeholders a chance to renew commitments, build partnerships, and craft joint strategies against drug-related threats, Akume said. President Bola Tinubu's administration, under the Renewed Hope Agenda, is focused on building strong communities, protecting mental health, and empowering youth, he noted.
NDLEA Chairman Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.) called the summit a vital platform for national reflection and collective action against growing substance abuse.
The gathering, he said, aims to mobilise backing for a coordinated National Action Plan to fight drug abuse.
Marwa stressed that while the NDLEA had achieved significant wins, tackling the drug crisis demands everyone's involvement. Public institutions, communities, families, religious leaders, civil society groups and media must all play a role, he argued.
Over the past 18 months, the agency arrested 29,262 people involved in drug trafficking and seized 5,305,484.88 kilograms of illicit drugs valued at over N1.5 trillion. The NDLEA also secured 5,225 convictions during the same period, Marwa disclosed.
Prevention work has also expanded significantly, he added. The agency ran 6,645 drug awareness and sensitisation programmes nationwide, reaching nearly five million Nigerians in schools, places of worship, workplaces, markets, motor parks, communities and prisons.
The NDLEA's 31 rehabilitation centres across the country provided counselling, treatment and rehabilitation services to 13,508 drug users. The agency has also launched the Alternative Development Initiative to support cannabis farmers transition to other livelihoods, Marwa noted.
