By Saminu Ibrahim
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the United Arab Emirates’ National Drug Enforcement Authority (NDEA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen the fight against drug trafficking between Nigeria and the UAE.
The agreement was signed on Saturday, September 26, 2026, on the sidelines of the ongoing 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), said the agreement was the outcome of years of sustained engagement between the two agencies.
Marwa said the MoU would deepen intelligence sharing, operational cooperation and joint enforcement efforts along the Nigeria-UAE drug trafficking corridor.
He disclosed that NDLEA had intercepted about 354.7kg of illicit drugs, including cocaine, cannabis, tramadol, rohypnol, ecstasy and khat, concealed in consignments destined for the UAE between 2021 and 2026.
According to him, the seizures led to the arrest and prosecution of 47 suspects, underscoring the need for stronger cooperation between the two countries.
Giving an overview of NDLEA’s nationwide operations between January 2021 and July 2026, Marwa said the agency had arrested more than 91,000 suspects, including 243 drug barons, and seized over 15.5 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals.
He added that the agency secured 16,469 convictions during the period, while more than 53,000 drug users received counselling, treatment and rehabilitation.
Marwa also said the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign had reached nearly 5.9 million Nigerians through community and school-based advocacy programmes.
The NDLEA chairman said the new partnership would build on existing cooperation between both agencies, including the exchange of liaison personnel, sharing of operational information and technical assistance.
He added that the UAE would provide Nigerian travellers with a comprehensive list of prohibited items to help prevent inadvertent violations of its drug laws.
Chairman of the NDEA, Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan, reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to working closely with Nigeria to disrupt drug trafficking networks exploiting the strong trade, travel and people-to-people ties between the two countries.
He described the MoU as a natural progression of the productive relationship already established between the two agencies.
Both agencies expressed confidence that the agreement would lead to stronger intelligence sharing, more effective joint operations and the dismantling of trafficking networks operating along the Nigeria-UAE corridor.
They said the partnership was also in line with the shared global responsibility against transnational organised crime championed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
