News
EU, UNODC, ECOWAS Back Nigeria’s New Drug Control Plan, Warn of Rising Threats
EU, UNODC, ECOWAS Back Nigeria’s New Drug Control Plan, Warn of Rising Threats
By: Michael Mike
International partners including the European Union (EU), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have pledged continued support for Nigeria’s efforts to combat substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking under the proposed 2026–2030 National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP).
The commitment was made on Monday during the opening of a two-day NDCMP Consultative Forum organised by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in Abuja, where stakeholders commended the agency’s achievements while warning against complacency amid evolving drug threats across Africa.

Speaking at the forum, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Zissimos Vergos, said the European Union remained committed to strengthening collaboration with Nigeria in addressing the transnational nature of drug trafficking and substance abuse.
According to him, Nigeria’s stability and Europe’s security are interconnected, stressing that the impact of drug abuse and trafficking extends beyond national borders.
“Our presence here today is that of partners who have walked this uphill and rough road ourselves, and we continue doing that,” he said.
“What affects the youth of Maiduguri or the streets of Ibadan does not stay within Nigerian borders. Drug trafficking is a transnational challenge, and the master plan laid before this forum is Nigeria’s contribution to a transnational response.”
Vergos noted that the EU had also updated its own drug strategy and action plan with stronger emphasis on international cooperation, adding that the bloc was ready to work with Nigeria in translating the new master plan into practical outcomes.
He also praised the leadership and personnel of the NDLEA for their dedication and commitment to drug control efforts.
Also addressing participants, UNODC Country Representative, Mr. Cheikh Ousmane Touré, warned that the global drug landscape was rapidly changing, driven by the rise of synthetic drugs, increasingly sophisticated trafficking networks, and the growing use of technology to facilitate illicit markets.
He said Nigeria was at the centre of these emerging threats, making it imperative for the country to adopt a comprehensive, data-driven, and forward-looking strategy.
Touré reaffirmed UNODC’s commitment to supporting Nigeria through technical assistance, institutional strengthening, evidence-based prevention and treatment programmes, and enhanced international cooperation.
“As we look ahead, we see this master plan as an opportunity to deepen impact, strengthen data systems, reinforce institutions across all levels of governance, and ensure that the response is people-centred, inclusive, and sustainable,” he said.
Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Mohamed Buba Marwa, said although Nigeria had recorded significant progress over the past five years, the country must confront a more complex and evolving drug threat.

Citing projections by the UNODC, Marwa said drug use in Africa could rise by 40 per cent by 2030, while West Africa continued to serve as a major corridor for cocaine trafficking between Latin America and Europe.
He further identified the growing abuse of synthetic substances, prescription drugs, new psychoactive substances, and the increasing digitalisation of the illicit drug trade through encrypted platforms and dark web operations as major concerns.
“As Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy, Nigeria cannot afford to be a passive observer. The risks to our youth, our workforce, and our national security are too high,” Marwa stated.
He explained that the proposed 2026–2030 master plan would introduce new strategic pillars, including alternative development and sustainable livelihoods to address the socio-economic drivers of the drug trade, as well as the disruption of illicit drug economies through financial intelligence.
Marwa urged stakeholders at the forum to think boldly and propose innovative solutions that would shape Nigeria’s drug control strategy over the next five years.
Also speaking, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, Dr. Daniel Amankwaah, described Nigeria’s master plan as critical to the regional bloc, noting that several ECOWAS member states often draw policy direction from Nigeria’s framework.
He assured the NDLEA of ECOWAS support, not only in finalising the plan but also during implementation.
Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Said Ahmad, commended the NDLEA for its sustained advocacy, enforcement, rehabilitation, and stakeholder engagement efforts.
She stressed the need for a holistic and multi-sectoral response involving education, healthcare, law enforcement, community participation, and social support systems to effectively address the root causes and consequences of drug abuse.
Other dignitaries at the event included representatives of the Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics and the National Orientation Agency.
EU, UNODC, ECOWAS Back Nigeria’s New Drug Control Plan, Warn of Rising Threats
News
Centre lauds Kaduna Govt over life skills, gender education policies approval
Centre lauds Kaduna Govt over life skills, gender education policies approval
By Aisha Gambo
The Centre for Girls’ Education (CGE) has commended the Kaduna State Executive Council for approving the Kaduna State Life Skills Policy and the State Policy on Gender in Education (SPGE 2026–2030).
The Executive Director of the organisation, Habiba Mohammed, made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday in Kaduna.
She said the approval marked a transition from donor-supported, time-bound interventions to a sustainable, government-led framework for delivering life skills education and promoting gender equity in schools.
According to her, the Life Skills Policy will equip young people with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values required to succeed in education, employment and life, while the Gender in Education Policy providzbves a framework to promote equity, inclusion, participation, retention, completion and improved learning outcomes.
“The approval moves life skills and gender equity from the margins of the classroom into the core of Kaduna State’s education system,” she said.
Mohammed said CGE contributed to the development and validation of the policies through its system-strengthening project supported by Co-Impact, OASIS Initiative and the Malala Fund, in collaboration with the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) and the Kaduna State Ministry of Education.
She said the policies built on more than 18 years of the organisation’s Safe Space model, which independent evaluations showed had helped reduce child marriage, increase school enrolment and delay early marriage.
According to her, the AGILE programme in Kaduna has reached more than 127,319 girls and 6,250 boys between the ages of 14 and 18, while over 1,400 female and male teachers have been trained as mentors.
She added that institutionalising the model through public policy would ensure that life skills education became a permanent component of the state’s education system.
Mohammed said the policies would address barriers to school access, retention and completion, particularly for girls and other vulnerable learners.
She added that they would also institutionalise life skills as a co-curricular programme, strengthen evidence-based decision-making across the state’s 23 local government areas and guarantee continuity beyond donor-funded programmes.
The executive director commended Gov. Uba Sani for providing the leadership that made the policy approval possible.
She also appreciated the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abubakar Sani Sambo, the Kaduna State Ministry of Education, the AGILE State Project Implementation Unit, the World Bank and other stakeholders for their contributions to the process.
Mohammed reaffirmed CGE’s commitment to supporting the Kaduna State Government with technical assistance during the implementation phase, including teacher training, gender-responsive education sector budgeting and monitoring.
She said the ultimate goal was to ensure that every girl and boy in Kaduna State had the opportunity to learn, develop and thrive.
Centre lauds Kaduna Govt over life skills, gender education policies approval
News
Troops Kill Six ISWAP Fighters, Wound Seven in Failed Attack on Borno Military Base
Troops Kill Six ISWAP Fighters, Wound Seven in Failed Attack on Borno Military Base
By: Zagazola Makama
Six fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were reportedly killed and seven others seriously wounded during a failed attack on a Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Logomani in Borno State, credible intelligence sources have disclosed.
The sources told Zagazola Makama that the terrorists launched the attack on the military position in the early hours of July 7 but suffered significant casualties after troops mounted a fierce resistance.
According to the intelligence assessment, the attackers had assembled at Garal before advancing on the military base.
Following the failed assault, surviving insurgents were reportedly seen regrouping at Chukun Gudu, where they buried six of their fighters killed during the encounter.
Among those reportedly buried was a senior fighter identified as Munzir, also known as Ba Alayi, who was said to be an indigene of Wulgo.
The development comes as troops of Operation HADIN KAI continue sustained clearance operations aimed at dismantling terrorist enclaves and disrupting insurgents’ logistics and mobility across the Lake Chad region.
Troops Kill Six ISWAP Fighters, Wound Seven in Failed Attack on Borno Military Base
Health
Cholera Outbreak Kills Nine ISWAP Terrorists in Timbuktu Triangle
Cholera Outbreak Kills Nine ISWAP Terrorists in Timbuktu Triangle
By: Zagazola Makama
A cholera outbreak has reportedly claimed the lives of nine fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the Timbuktu Triangle, a known terrorist stronghold in Borno State, intelligence sources have disclosed.
The sources told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the outbreak had spread through the group’s enclaves, highlighting deteriorating sanitary conditions and limited access to medical care within the insurgents’ camps.
According to the intelligence, two additional ISWAP fighters infected with the disease were allegedly executed by fellow terrorists after attempts to manage their condition at Kimba village proved unsuccessful.
The sources said the development pointed to the worsening health conditions within the terrorist hideouts, where sustained military pressure has disrupted logistics, including access to medicines and treatment facilities.
The sources added that commanders had also been urged to intensify efforts to intercept medical supplies and pharmaceuticals intended for terrorist camps in order to further degrade ISWAP’s treatment capability and operational resilience.
The reported outbreak comes amid sustained offensives by troops of Operation HADIN KAI, who continue to target terrorist enclaves and logistics networks across the Lake Chad region in a bid to degrade the insurgents’ fighting capacity.
Cholera Outbreak Kills Nine ISWAP Terrorists in Timbuktu Triangle
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