The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is set to strengthen collaboration with Egypt in the fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking through a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will facilitate intelligence sharing, joint operations and capacity building between both countries.
According to an official statement signed by the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), disclosed this when the Egyptian Ambassador to Nigeria, Mohammed Fouad, paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja on Tuesday.
Marwa said the longstanding cordial relationship between Nigeria and Egypt provides a strong foundation for deeper cooperation against the growing global drug menace, stressing that no nation is immune to the challenge.
He noted that the proposed MoU would institutionalise collaboration between the two countries’ anti-narcotics agencies, particularly in intelligence sharing, joint operations and training.
“The drug problem is a global challenge. Nowhere is untouched. The drug menace is everywhere in the world, and it is for this reason that we have this kind of collaboration,” Marwa said.
He highlighted NDLEA’s existing partnerships with international law enforcement agencies, including the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Bureau of the United States, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and Border Force, the French Police, the German Criminal Police, India’s Narcotics Control Bureau and the UK Home Office International Operations.
Expressing optimism over the proposed partnership with Egypt, Marwa said increasing pressure on drug cartels worldwide has forced them to seek alternative trafficking routes in Africa, making stronger continental cooperation imperative.
“We are therefore very excited that we’re going to collaborate with Egypt through an MoU. The drug cartels are trying to find other alternatives in Africa, but we have to stay united and push them out of our continent,” he said.
Marwa also cited recent operational successes by the agency, including the dismantling of methamphetamine laboratories allegedly operated by Mexican drug syndicates in Nigeria.
According to him, NDLEA recently destroyed a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory valued at about 362 million dollars and dismantled another facility linked to Mexican nationals in a separate operation.
He expressed confidence that signing the MoU would pave the way for a more structured and effective partnership between both countries in combating narcotics.
Earlier, Ambassador Fouad underscored the importance of closer bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and Egypt in addressing the transnational threat posed by illicit drugs.
He described both countries as leading African nations with a shared responsibility to confront narcotics trafficking from a continental perspective.
The envoy said his visit was aimed at exploring practical areas of collaboration, understanding NDLEA’s operational priorities and identifying ways Egypt could support Nigeria’s efforts in combating illicit drug trafficking.
