UAE strengthening drug regulation through Nigeria partnership

ABU DHABI, UAE (MNTV) — The United Arab Emirates has expressed its readiness to strengthen cooperation with Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in the fight against drug trafficking and abuse, marking a significant step toward a formal bilateral framework on narcotics control.

During a courtesy visit to NDLEA headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, UAE Ambassador to Nigeria Salem Saeed Musabbeh Alshamsi commended the agency’s leadership under Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) for its achievements in tackling drug-related crimes. He emphasized the UAE’s commitment to deeper collaboration through a forthcoming Memorandum of Understanding.

According to Alshamsi, the agreement will encompass intelligence sharing, data exchange on trafficking networks, and closer coordination between law enforcement agencies in both countries. He also extended an invitation to Marwa to visit the UAE for further consultations with Emirati security officials and the Dubai Police.

Marwa welcomed the UAE’s commitment, describing international partnerships as essential to addressing the global drug challenge. He noted that the growing relationship between Nigeria and the UAE — particularly in trade and security — aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The NDLEA chief disclosed that in the past four years, Nigerian authorities intercepted more than 302 kilograms of illicit drugs destined for the UAE through Lagos’s Murtala Muhammed International Airport and courier services.

Marwa reaffirmed the NDLEA’s resolve to intensify cooperation with the UAE and other international partners to disrupt transnational drug syndicates and promote safer communities across borders.