Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has urged state governments to adopt and implement community-based strategies to combat the growing menace of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in alignment with the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP).
Speaking through Hajiya Laila Jibrin Barau, wife of the Deputy Senate President, at a capacity-building workshop organised by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for members of the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum (NGSF) in Abuja on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, Senator Tinubu applauded the collaborative effort to take the drug war to the grassroots.
She commended the NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), for his bold leadership in confronting the scourge of drug abuse nationwide, described the training as timely and essential.
“This training comes at a critical time when statistics and daily experiences show that drugs have penetrated every part of our communities,” she said. “We face a growing crisis that threatens the health, safety, and future of our children.”
The First Lady called for a united, multi-dimensional approach to address the issue effectively, urging all stakeholders to act with urgency and commitment.
“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, community-driven response, one that integrates enforcement, education, family support, and sustained intervention,” she said.
Senator Tinubu urged the governors’ spouses to see themselves as torchbearers in the campaign, stressing the importance of using the knowledge gained from the training to develop workable solutions in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
“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. Let us approach the formidable task ahead with humility, doggedness, and commitment to enable us build communities where our children are protected from harm and empowered to thrive,” she said
Earlier in his welcome address, Brig. Gen. Marwa provided sobering statistics underscoring the scope of the problem and the agency’s ongoing efforts.
In 51 months, he said, the NDLEA arrested 62,595 drug suspects, including 68 drug barons, secured 11,628 convictions, seized over 10.3 million kilograms of various illicit drugs, and destroyed more than 1,330 hectares of cannabis farms.
Marwa highlighted the agency’s dual approach of reducing both drug supply and demand.
“Between January 2021 and March 2025, a total of 24,375 drug users received counselling and treatment, while 10,501 sensitisation programmes reached nearly four million Nigerians under the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign,” he said.
He called for urgent, inclusive strategies, emphasising that community-level action was crucial.
“Since it is at the community level that the burden of the drug menace is most acutely felt, it is vital that stakeholders, including all of us gathered here today, address the different dimensions of the problem from a community-centred perspective,” Marwa said.
Marwa encouraged the first ladies to activate and strengthen the State Drug Control Committees (SDCCs) in their domains, stressing that these committees are vital platforms for multisectoral collaboration.
He said, “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.”
The UNODC Country Representative, Cheikh Ousmane Toure, stressed that the solution to the drug crisis must be rooted in local communities.
He said, “If the root of this crisis lies in our neighbourhoods, schools, and homes, then the solution must too.”
Toure urged state governments to go beyond rhetorical commitments and prioritize budget allocations for prevention and treatment.
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“Every state must prioritise a dedicated budget for prevention and treatment. This means establishing a state-specific drug control task force to align with NDLEA’s national efforts, and allocating funds to build community drop-in centres, safe spaces for counselling and care,” he said.
He further emphasised the need to customise evidence-based programmes to reflect local realities and expand access to treatment at the grassroots.
Reminding the First Ladies of their influence, he said: “When you speak, the community listens. When you act, local governments follow.”
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Representative and Head of its Drug Prevention and Control Division, Dr. Daniel Amankwaah, urged state authorities to invest in sustainable, localised responses to drug abuse challenges.
The technical session of the workshop featured presentations by leading experts in drug prevention and treatment, including Dr. Martins Agwogie, Prof. Akintunde Oyedokun, Dr. Akanidomo Ibanga, Dr. Kunle Adeshina, Dr. Abubakar Salami, and Dr. Ngozi Madubuike.
