The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has called for stronger collaboration between government, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to protect the girl-child from vulnerabilities that expose women and young people to drug abuse and exploitation.
According to an official statement signed by the Director of Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, Marwa made the call during the public presentation of In The Shadow of the Neem Tree, a book authored by his daughter, Barrister Mariam Marwa-Abdu, in Kaduna on Saturday, 11 July 2026.
Marwa said safeguarding the girl-child is fundamental to building stronger families and securing the nation’s future, stressing that efforts to protect vulnerable members of society should not be left to government agencies and non-governmental organisations alone.
“By protecting the girl-child, we protect the family, and by protecting the family, we secure the nation,” he said.
The NDLEA Chairman noted that his experience leading the nation’s anti-drug agency had shown that poverty, abuse and lack of education remain major factors driving women and youths into drug abuse and exploitation.
“As the Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, I see firsthand every day how systemic vulnerabilities like poverty, abuse, and lack of education drive women and youth toward drug abuse and exploitation. Advocacy like Mariam’s is the first line of defence. We cannot leave this battle to the government or non-governmental organisations alone. We need the partnership of our revered traditional institutions, led by custodians of culture like His Royal Highness, the Emir of Zazzau, to shift the cultural paradigm. We must protect our daughters, educate them, and give them the wings to fly,” Marwa stated.
He commended the author for her courage, intellect and commitment to social advocacy, urging stakeholders to ensure that the message contained in the book reaches every segment of society.
Reflecting on the significance of the occasion, Marwa described the publication as a proud milestone for his family, noting that all four of his eldest children who are lawyers have become published authors.
He said the book addresses the urgent challenge of early marriage and its far-reaching consequences on the education, health and future of young girls.
According to him, In The Shadow of the Neem Tree highlights how harmful traditional practices continue to deny many girls the opportunity to realise their full potential, while encouraging society to confront the issue and promote positive change.
The author, Mrs. Mariam Marwa-Abdu, who is the Founder of the Women and Children’s Rights and Empowerment Foundation (WCREF), said the book is more than a work of fiction, describing it as a literary expression of her long-standing commitment to protecting the rights of women and children.
She explained that through her foundation, established in 2011, she has spent more than a decade translating the advocacy reflected in the book into practical interventions aimed at improving the lives of vulnerable women and children.
Speaking at the event, the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, who was represented by Architect Haruna Abubakar Bamalli, the Barden Kerarriyan Zazzau and District Head of Basawa, expressed optimism that the book launch would inspire meaningful dialogue and contribute to both individual and collective development.
