The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), says Nigeria cannot fully unlock the wealth of its coastal and marine resources unless the nation treats the fight against drug trafficking as a critical line of defence for its emerging blue economy.
Speaking in Abuja at the Presidential Dinner for the Graduating Senior Executive Course 47/2025 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPS), organised by the Alumni Association of the National Institute (AANI), Marwa drew a direct connection between maritime security, national prosperity, and the expanding threats posed by transnational drug syndicates.
He emphasised the enormous opportunities embedded in Nigeria’s blue economy maritime transport, offshore oil and gas, coastal tourism, fisheries, and port operations.
However, he cautioned that this potential is being aggressively undermined by illicit drug trafficking across Nigeria’s waterways.
According to Marwa, drug smuggling syndicates exploit legitimate vessels, corrupt maritime infrastructure, and expose coastal communities to violence, pollution, and economic distortion.
He noted that chemicals from illicit drug production, including dangerous methamphetamine labs hidden in residential homes, pose irreversible environmental damage to Nigeria’s marine ecosystem.
“To reclaim the full potential of our coastal and marine resources, we must therefore treat the war against drug trafficking as a direct defence of the blue economy,” he stated.
He stressed that drug crime is not just a social problem but a direct assault on national development, biodiversity, and sustainable livelihoods.
The NDLEA chairman commended the graduating participants and emphasised the enormous opportunities embedded in Nigeria’s blue economy maritime transport, offshore oil and gas, coastal tourism, fisheries, and port operations.
