Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Drug Enforcement Authority (NDEA) of the United Arab Emirates have strengthened their partnership in the fight against drug trafficking between the two countries.
The partnership was strengthened when both parties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Saturday, September 26, 2026, on the sidelines of the ongoing 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice being held in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
The development marks a new chapter in the fight against drug trafficking between the two countries.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), described the agreement as the culmination of years of steady engagement between the two agencies.
Marwa noted that the development would deepen intelligence-sharing and joint enforcement action along the Nigeria-UAE corridor.
He disclosed that between 2021 and 2026, NDLEA intercepted about 354.7kg of illicit drugs, including cocaine, cannabis, tramadol, rohypnol, ecstasy and khat, concealed in consignments destined for the UAE, resulting in the arrest and prosecution of 47 suspects.
He said that the figures underscored the urgency of the new partnership.
Marwa further highlighted NDLEA’s nationwide record between January 2021 and July 2026, including more than 91,000 arrests, among them 243 drug barons; the seizure of more than 15.5 million kilograms of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals; 16,469 convictions; and the counselling, treatment and rehabilitation of more than 53,000 drug users.
He added that the Agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign had reached nearly 5.9 million Nigerians through community and school engagements.
Marwa emphasised that the new partnership with the NDEA would build on the exchange of liaison personnel, sharing of operational information and technical cooperation already established between the two agencies.
He added that the UAE planned to provide Nigerian travellers with a comprehensive list of prohibited items to guard against inadvertent violations.
In his remarks,/, the Chairman of the NDEA, His Excellency Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan, reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to working closely with Nigeria to disrupt trafficking networks exploiting the strong trade, travel, and people-to-people ties between the two nations.
Sheikh Al Nahyan described the MoU as a natural evolution of an already productive relationship.
Both agencies expressed confidence that the agreement would translate into stronger intelligence-sharing, more successful joint operations, and the dismantling of trafficking networks operating along the Nigeria-UAE axis, in line with the shared global responsibility championed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
