Tinubu Calls for Nationwide Mobilisation Against Drug Abuse

By Oluwakemi Kindness

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called for collective national action against the scourge of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria, stressing that the campaign must transcend government efforts and become a people-driven movement.

The President made the remarks in a keynote address delivered on his behalf by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, at the grand finale of the 2025 World Drug Day commemorations held on Thursday, 26 June, at the Presidential Villa Conference in Abuja.

According to a statement by the spokesperson of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Femi Babafemi, President Tinubu said drug abuse is deeply tied to poverty, inequality, violence, and conflict, adding that it poses a serious challenge to national development.

He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the global campaign against drug abuse and its consequences, expressing solidarity with international efforts to address the crisis.

The President commended the NDLEA and its Chairman, retired Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa, for what he described as globally acclaimed successes in both drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction.

These achievements, he said, include aggressive nationwide sensitisation campaigns and initiatives focused on prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and reintegration of drug users back into society.

“These efforts have not only attracted commendations from international partners and western nations, but also greater support and collaboration with Nigeria in the global effort to curb the scourge of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking,” Tinubu noted.

In his welcome address, NDLEA Chairman Marwa said the urgency to intensify prevention efforts has never been greater.

“The reality around us is a strong indication—a wake-up call—for us as parents, guardians and governments to step up preventive measures,” he said. “We must acknowledge that children are especially vulnerable, and we should not dismiss experimentation with illicit drugs as behaviour limited to a particular demographic.”

Highlighting NDLEA’s operational successes over the past four and a half years, Marwa revealed that the agency had arrested 66,085 offenders, including 94 identified drug barons, and seized over 11.1 million kilograms of assorted illicit drugs. He added that 12,201 convicts have been jailed within the same period, with life sentences now being secured in court for some.

Also speaking at the event, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, described drug abuse as not only a public health crisis but also a threat to national security, social stability, and economic development.

“Drug abuse and trafficking fuel organised crime, undermine the rule of law, and destroy the hope and future of our young people, our most precious national assets,” he said. “The evidence is clear—investing in the prevention of drug cultivation and trafficking works.”

Fagbemi called for an integrated prevention strategy that cuts across the education system, healthcare services, and criminal justice programmes.

Representing Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics, Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, emphasized the urgency of the fight.

“This is not a war of convenience, it is a war of necessity,” he said. “Every life lost to addiction is not just a tragedy—it is a failure of our collective will.”

The Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Cheikh Ousmane Toure, also spoke, stating that prevention, treatment, and recovery must not be viewed as luxuries.

“They are life-saving investments,” he said. “Together, we can break the vicious cycle of drug abuse, organised crime and marginalisation—and together, we can build a safer, healthier, and more hopeful Nigeria.”