First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu has urged state governments to adopt and implement community-based strategies to mitigate the effects of substance abuse and illegal drug trafficking at the local level, in accordance with the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP).
Naijaonpoint reports that Senator Tinubu, in her address at a training workshop organised by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses’ Forum in Abuja on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, expressed concerns over the rising tide of drug and substance abuse amongst adolescents.
She stressed that the development is a challenge that must no longer be ignored or tackled in isolation.
Naijaonpoint reports that the event was attended by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa; Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Cheikh Ousmane Toure; and ECOWAS representative, Dr. Daniel Amankwaah.
Speaking further at the event, the First Lady praised the NDLEA and NGSF for their initiative aimed at enhancing drug control efforts at the grassroots level throughout the nation.
She particularly acknowledged Marwa and his team for their courageous efforts in tackling the issues of illicit drug abuse and trafficking in the country.
“This training cannot be coming at any better time than now when statistics and daily life experiences are revealing that drugs have infiltrated every nook and cranny of our communities. As a nation, we are confronted with a growing crisis, one that affects the very core of our society, the health, safety, and future of our children.
“The rising tide of drug and substance abuse amongst adolescents is a challenge that we must no longer ignore or tackle in isolation. It requires concerted efforts, a community-driven response, one that integrates enforcement, education, family support, and sustained intervention. Our presence at this training testifies to the collective resolve we display in ensuring that we strengthen, secure, and safeguard families and communities.
“Today’s training will ensure that we are adequately armed with the right knowledge, tools, skills, and competencies necessary to effectively tackle this complex issue. It is my hope that this capacity-building workshop, through honest discussions and sharing of best practices, will provide valuable insights into evidence-based strategies for prevention, early intervention, and holistic treatment approaches, especially targeting marginalised and vulnerable communities.
“I urge us to utilise the knowledge gathered at this training to develop viable solutions while collaborating with relevant stakeholders, especially the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, other law enforcement agencies, MDAS, civil society organizations, healthcare providers, educators, and community leaders.
“Let us always bear in mind that as state First Ladies, you owe our people the duty to lead by example, to bear their burden, and share in their pain as we jointly confront drug abuse in our society. I urge us to continue to provide the right direction through prevention initiatives, advocating for those whose voices have been silenced by addiction, providing community interventions to support recovery and reintegrate people into communities after treatment.
“Let us approach the formidable task ahead with humility, doggedness, and commitment to enable us to build communities where our children are protected from harm and empowered to thrive. Together, we can change the narrative, restore dignity to our communities, and ensure a healthier, safer future for all Nigerians,” the First Lady said in her keynote address, delivered by the wife of the Deputy Senate President, Hajiya Laila Jibrin Barau.
The Magnitude And Impact Of Drug Crisis In Nigeria
NDLEA Boss, Buba Marwa
In his welcome address, NDLEA Boss, Marwa, expressed concerns over the drug scourge, which, according to him, obstructs progress and dims prospects in an already beleaguered world.
He said: “Regrettably, Nigeria is not immune to this scourge, which steadily infiltrates every stratum of our society. Statistics, academic research, and lived experiences alike reveal a grim reality about illicit drug use and consequences in the country. The magnitude and impact of the drug crisis render the attainment of our national aspiration—improving the health and security of all who dwell within our borders, as enshrined in the National Drug Control Master Plan 2021–2025—a daunting yet inevitable task for any government and people worthy of the name.”
The NDLEA boss stressed that it is imperative for all stakeholders at the workshop to adopt urgent, holistic, and inclusive strategies to dismantle the drug menace.
Marwa said, “Over the past four years, the NDLEA has pursued this mission with renewed and unwavering zeal, ensuring that Nigeria’s hard-won global and regional drug control successes are not merely preserved but expanded.
“Permit me to inform this distinguished gathering that over the four years, the NDLEA has deployed substantial resources towards a comprehensive assault on the drug problem, yielding significant outcomes. Under the drug supply reduction mandate—encompassing drug seizures, arrests, prosecutions, and convictions—we recorded the arrest of 62,595 drug suspects (Including 68 drug barons), the seizure of 10,317,137.55 kilograms of assorted drugs, and secured the conviction of 11,628 offenders. Furthermore, 1,330.56553 hectares of cannabis farms were identified and destroyed.
“To ensure a balanced approach in accordance with international best practices, equal emphasis has been placed on drug demand reduction. Between January 2021 and March 2025, a total of 24,375 drug users received counselling and treatment at NDLEA facilities, primarily through brief interventions. Concurrently, 10,501 drug sensitisation programmes were conducted nationwide under the auspices of the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy campaign, reaching diverse target groups within communities. In parallel, a remarkable 3, 843, 789 participants were mobilised to partake in these enlightenment initiatives undertaken across the nation.”
Marwa urged the stakeholders to resist succumbing to despair regarding the issue of drug abuse.
As dedicated citizens and guardians of our nation’s welfare, it is our responsibility to reinforce our determination and to advance with intentional urgency towards effective and sustainable solutions that, with divine assistance, will disrupt the relentless cycle of drug abuse.
This capacity-building initiative, though modest, signifies a positive step forward, as emphasised by the NDLEA leader.
He further noted that since the impact of the drug crisis is most profoundly experienced at the community level, it is essential for stakeholders, including all present today, to tackle the various aspects of the issue from a community-focused approach.
This assembly must seek consensus, creating local and practical solutions that transcend mere statistics and distressing news reports, and instead confront the genuine and severe human consequences of drug abuse.
Marwa conveyed optimism that the training will enhance capabilities, leverage community assets, and unlock the necessary potential to design and execute evidence-based strategies that will restore and revitalise every facet of struggling communities.
“Let us, as frontliners, ever remember: the cost of inaction is infinitely higher than the cost of collective action. Your Excellencies, your roles as mothers, changemakers, and drivers of the State Drug Control Committees (SDCC) place upon you a sacred trust—a responsibility not to be borne lightly. Through your ingenuity, your states may yet emerge as shining examples, immortalised in gold as bastions of hope that defied the tides of darkness.
“The SDCCs remain a potent platform for fostering multisectoral collaboration in the crucial task of drug demand reduction at the state level. I must fervently implore you to ensure the establishment, strengthening, and revitalisation of these Committees across your respective states. Let us always remember that the value of these training events lies not in the richness of their content alone, but in the continued motion and effectiveness of the SDCCS moving resolutely towards our collective aspiration of a drug-free, resilient Nigeria,” a statement made available to Naijaonpoint on Tuesday, May 6, by the Director, Media & Advocacy NDLEA Headquarters Abuja, Femi Babafemi, quoted Marwa as stating.
Also speaking at the workshop, UNODC Country, Rep Cheikh Ousmane Toure, stated that “If the root of this crisis lies in our neighbourhoods, schools, and homes, then the solution must too. The National Drug Control Master Plan and the WADA initiative remind us of that a national framework alone cannot heal fractured communities. Lasting change begins when states and local governments own this fight.”
He emphasised to the first ladies that their impact extends beyond the realm of politics, stating, ‘You are the guardians of trust within your states. When you speak, the community pays attention. When you take action, local governments are inclined to follow. Today, I encourage us to harness this distinctive influence towards three key areas of action. Firstly, states must lead in resource mobilisation. Each state should prioritise a specific budget for prevention and treatment initiatives. This entails the formation of a state-specific drug control task force to align with the national efforts of the NDLEA, as well as the allocation of local government resources to establish community drop-in centres, safe spaces for counselling, and care facilities that are easily accessible to those in need.’
The UNODC chief further asserted that states should implement evidence-based programs tailored to their cultural contexts and decentralise access to treatment.
The head of the ECOWAS Drug Prevention and Control Division, Dr. Daniel Amankwaah, echoed this sentiment in his goodwill message, urging state governments to commit resources to prevention and treatment initiatives at both the state and community levels.
The technical session of the workshop featured experts such as Dr. Martins Agwogie, Prof. Akintunde Oyedokun, Dr. Akanidomo Ibanga, Dr. Kunle Adeshina, Dr. Abubakar Salami, Dr. Kunle Adeshina, and Dr. Ngozi Madubuike as resource persons.