Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), announced a reinforced partnership between the NDLEA and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to intensify efforts against substance abuse and counterfeit products in Nigeria. This partnership, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in Abuja on Wednesday, aims to protect public health by combining NDLEA’s focus on illicit drugs and trafficking with NAFDAC’s regulatory oversight on food and drug safety.
Marwa stated that this collaboration, a significant enhancement of a decades-old partnership, would strengthen intelligence-sharing, resource allocation, and expertise exchange to address drug abuse and counterfeit goods. “Today’s MoU marks a milestone toward robust protection for public health. Our agencies will now align strategies, making us better equipped to handle the challenges of drug abuse and ensure only safe, approved, and authentic products reach consumers,” Marwa said.
NAFDAC’s Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, emphasized the national security implications of substance abuse, noting its influence on central nervous systems, leading to increased risks of violence, terrorism, and societal issues. She argued for collaborative action, saying, “We must work closely; drug abuse affects everyone directly or indirectly. We cannot afford to tackle such issues in silos.”
Both leaders underscored the MoU as a foundational step to creating safer communities, reducing drug abuse prevalence, and reinforcing Nigeria’s public health and safety standards.
