Nigeria at Critical Crossroads in Fight Against Drug Menace, UNODC Warns
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has warned that Nigeria has reached a critical juncture in its fight against illicit drugs and must simultaneously confront long-standing drug-related challenges while adapting to emerging threats posed by synthetic substances, sophisticated trafficking networks and digital illicit markets.
The warning came on Friday in Abuja during a joint press briefing by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the UNODC to unveil activities marking the 2026 World Drug Day.
Speaking at the event, UNODC Country Representative, Mr. Cheikh Toure, represented by the Deputy Country Representative, Mr. Danielo Campisi, said the global drug problem was not static but rapidly evolving, making it imperative for Nigeria and the international community to adopt innovative and forward-looking responses.
“Nigeria stands at a critical point where it must address long-standing challenges while adapting to new realities,” he said.
According to him, no single institution possesses the capacity to tackle the complexities of the global drug problem alone, stressing that progress would depend on partnership, shared responsibility and sustained action.
“The problem persists, but it is not insurmountable. The challenges are evolving, but so are our solutions, and our response must be united, informed and forward-looking,” Campisi added.
He reaffirmed UNODC’s commitment to supporting Nigeria through evidence-based interventions, innovation, human-centred approaches and enhanced international cooperation aimed at protecting communities from the devastating impact of illicit drugs.
The warning came as the NDLEA announced a weeklong programme of activities to commemorate this year’s World Drug Day under the theme, “The World Drug Problem: Persisting Issues, New Challenges, Innovative Responses.”
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (rtd), said the theme aptly captures the changing dynamics of the global drug landscape, where old drug threats continue to persist while new challenges are emerging in more sophisticated forms.
Represented by the agency’s Secretary, Mr. Shadrach Haruna, Marwa said the agency had recognised early that conventional strategies could no longer adequately address emerging realities in the drug ecosystem.
He disclosed that under the support of the Federal Government and its partners, the agency had significantly modernised its operations and strengthened its enforcement and preventive capacities through aggressive public advocacy and technological innovation.
Marwa said the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative had been repositioned to leverage data, community intelligence and innovative public enlightenment tools to shield young Nigerians from drug abuse.
The NDLEA boss also highlighted recent operational successes, including the dismantling of major drug syndicates, arrests and successful prosecutions of leading drug barons, as well as the confiscation of assets linked to drug trafficking.
“We are not just arresting traffickers; we are liquidating their financial empires. Assets reasonably suspected to be proceeds of drug crimes are aggressively targeted and forfeited to the Federal Government, effectively cutting off the lifeblood of these criminal networks,” he said.
He expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu, state governments, international partners and local security agencies for their support, insisting that sustained collaboration remained critical to overcoming both the persistent and emerging dimensions of the global drug challenge.
