The chairman of the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mohamed Buba Marwa, has sought collaboration with other African countries to tackle illicit drug trafficking and abuse.
Marwa said effective intelligence sharing and enhanced cooperation among African nations will help the continent overcome the formidable problem of illicit drug trafficking and abuse.
This is contained in a statement by the NDLEA President during the 30th Conference of Heads of Drug Enforcement Agencies in Africa (HONLEA) on Wednesday in Kenya.
While briefing the meeting, Marwa revealed the progress Nigeria has made so far in combating drug abuse and trafficking in illegal substances and urged other countries to establish a national coordination system to ensure coordinated action against the problem. .
It states that the coordination of all stakeholders by the national drug coordination agency is the starting point for stopping the monitoring and abuse of illicit drugs and adds that Nigeria has made substantial attempts to address its drug problems.
“The starting point is the harnessing of all stakeholders by the focal national drug agency. Through this national coordination and collaborative effort,” said Marwa
The president of the NDLEA pointed out that “the world drug problem has imposed greater demands on countries to work day and night to achieve this goal and consolidate the achievements registered” and urged regional and subregional collaboration.
“This lofty goal could be achieved by creating an informal network of HONLEA contact persons to complement and enhance the real-time exchange of intelligence or operational information. It will also enhance more robust activities throughout the year,” he said.
He urged countries at the subregional level to strive to establish groups such as HONLEA to strengthen collaboration under the auspices of regional economic communities, noting that the global drug crisis has placed more obligations on governments to work around the clock.
“The HONLEA platform offers limitless opportunities, and it is imperative to maximize these incredible benefits by complementing it with a practical form of cooperation such as the suggested HONLEA Informal Contact Person Network,
“This would allow for regular bilateral meetings, training programs, intelligence sharing, and the conduct of joint operations at the sub-regional and regional levels if necessary.”
Marwa noted that Nigeria has taken practical steps to deepen collaboration at the national and international levels in combating the world drug problem in accordance with the principle of common and shared responsibility.
“This was done through bilateral visits and discussions that culminated in the signing of Memoranda of Understanding with countries and organizations. Therefore, the Nigerian declaration is based on the need to deepen collaboration to meet a common challenge as the world is assaulted by the exponential increase in drug trafficking and use,” he added.
Marwa also stated that a vibrant HONLEA platform will facilitate the rapid dismantling of drug cartels in Africa.
