State governments have been urged to intensify community-based interventions to combat the deepening crisis of drug abuse and trafficking across Nigeria.
This call came from key stakeholders including First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and ECOWAS at a high-level workshop held in Abuja on Tuesday, May 6, 2025.
Speaking through the wife of the Deputy Senate President, Laila Barau, Senator Tinubu commended the NDLEA and the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum (NGSF) for organizing the workshop aimed at empowering first ladies to drive grassroots drug control strategies.
“This training comes at a time when substance abuse is increasingly threatening the health, safety, and future of our children. Community-driven solutions that integrate education, law enforcement, and family support are urgently needed,” she said.
The NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd.), highlighted the scope of the agency’s efforts, revealing that 62,595 drug suspects, including 68 drug barons, have been arrested, with 11,628 convictions secured and over 10.3 million kilograms of illicit drugs seized between January 2021 and March 2025.
“Drug abuse threatens our national aspirations and the wellbeing of every Nigerian. We must adopt urgent and inclusive strategies at the grassroots to disrupt this menace,” Marwa declared.
He noted that 24,375 drug users received counseling and treatment, while nearly 3.8 million Nigerians were reached through over 10,500 sensitisation programmes under the NDLEA’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.
UNODC Country Representative Cheikh Ousmane Toure and ECOWAS official Dr. Daniel Amankwaah echoed the call for states to institutionalize prevention and treatment measures. Toure emphasized the role of state first ladies in driving policy and mobilizing resources for localized interventions, including the creation of community counseling centres.
Resource persons at the workshop provided insight into evidence-based prevention and treatment strategies suited to Nigeria’s diverse communities.
