Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates have moved to strengthen cooperation against drug trafficking with the signing of a new agreement between their respective anti-narcotics agencies.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Drug Enforcement Authority (NDEA) of the UAE signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
The agreement was reached on the sidelines of the ongoing 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja.
According to him, the agreement is expected to provide a stronger framework for intelligence-sharing, operational cooperation and coordinated action against drug trafficking along the Nigeria-UAE route.
Speaking at the ceremony, NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, said the agreement was the product of sustained engagement between the two agencies over several years.
Marwa said the new arrangement would strengthen intelligence exchange and facilitate joint enforcement operations targeting illicit drug activities between Nigeria and the UAE.
He revealed that the NDLEA had intercepted approximately 354.7kg of illicit drugs destined for the UAE between 2021 and 2026.
The seized substances included cocaine, cannabis, tramadol, rohypnol, ecstasy and khat, with the drugs concealed in various consignments.
According to him, the interceptions led to the arrest and prosecution of 47 suspects, highlighting the scale of the trafficking challenge along the route.
Marwa also presented the agency’s wider enforcement record, saying that more than 91,000 suspects had been arrested across the country between January 2021 and July 2026.
Among those arrested, he said, were 243 drug barons.
He added that NDLEA operatives had seized more than 15.5 million kilograms of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals within the period, while 16,469 convictions had been secured.
Beyond enforcement, Marwa said the agency had provided counselling, treatment and rehabilitation to more than 53,000 drug users.
He further disclosed that the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy campaign had reached nearly 5.9 million Nigerians through various community and school-based engagements.
The NDLEA chairman said the latest agreement with the UAE would also expand existing areas of cooperation, including the exchange of liaison personnel, operational information and technical expertise.
He said one of the practical measures being considered was for the UAE to provide Nigerian travellers with a comprehensive list of prohibited items to help prevent inadvertent violations of the country’s laws.
On the part of the UAE, the Chairman of the National Drug Enforcement Authority, His Excellency Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan, reaffirmed his country’s willingness to work closely with Nigeria to combat the trafficking of illicit drugs.
He said the cooperation would focus on disrupting criminal networks taking advantage of the extensive trade, travel and people-to-people links between Nigeria and the UAE.
Al Nahyan described the MoU as a natural progression of the existing relationship between the two agencies, which he said had already produced positive cooperation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the two agencies expressed optimism that the new agreement would lead to improved intelligence-sharing, more effective joint operations and greater success in dismantling drug trafficking networks operating along the Nigeria-UAE corridor.
The partnership is also expected to contribute to the broader international efforts against organised crime and illicit drug trafficking, in keeping with the shared responsibility promoted by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).