- President urged participants attending the conference to seize the opportunity of the gathering to come up with novel strategies to dismantle drug cartels across the African continent
President Bola Tinubu has expressed his administration’s commitment to the country’s fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
Tinubu also assured he’ll continue to provide necessary support and tools for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, to fulfil its mandate.
A statement issued by the Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja, said the President gave the assurances on Tuesday while declaring open the 31st meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies, Africa, HONLAF, at the Continental Hotel, Abuja.
Tinubu who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the event said, “This administration will continue to provide the necessary support, motivation, and tools for the NDLEA to fulfill its mandate. We understand the connection between the success of the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking and the attainment of a number of goals on our socio-economic and security agenda.”
Tinubu noted that “the commitment to the fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse is not just a matter of policy but a moral imperative.
“Our strength has always been our proactive actions to prevent any individual or group from turning our countries into a minefield of drug trafficking. So, we must prioritize prevention, education, and rehabilitation to empower our youth with knowledge and opportunities. We must steer them away from the treacherous path of drug abuse and trafficking and protect our economy from the consequences of their actions,” he added.
The President urged participants attending the conference to seize the opportunity of the gathering to come up with novel strategies to dismantle drug cartels across the African continent.
Earlier, while citing the details of the 2023 world drug report as a challenge for Africa, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) charged his counterparts across the continent to strengthen operational networks and raise the bar in the drug war.
Marwa noted that “Drug use disorders are harming health, including mental health, safety and well-being, while the harms caused by drug trafficking and illicit drug economies are contributing to many of these threats, from instability and violence to environmental devastation.
“The world drug problem, in all its forms and manifestations, affects all of us. The stakes are especially high for Africa. No one country can tackle a problem of this magnitude alone; just as well, the world drug problem cannot be tackled solely through international policymaking; it also requires effective implementation and collaboration among practitioners.
“This is where the HONLAF comes in. The meeting is very important, as it enables its parent body, the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, to learn about current regional drug trends, threats, and emerging challenges from practitioners and law enforcement experts, from all parts of the continent. We need regional perspectives to enrich the global policy discussion, and HONLAF is the opportunity to bring the African perspective to the global level. The sessions provide a platform to share knowledge and practices and learn from each other”.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director, UNODC, Ghada Fathi Waly and the Chairman, UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs who both spoke via video messages expressed support for the gathering and charged delegates to maximise the opportunities provided by the platform.
One of the high points of the ceremony was the presentation of a report on Organised Crime in Nigeria: A Threat Assessment (NOCTA) produced by the National Institute for Security Studies in collaboration with security agencies and supported by the UNODC.