NDLEA operatives
June 30, 2025
The Commission of the African Union has said the formulation of new action plan on drug control and crime prevention on the African continent won’t be complete without inputs from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) because of its central role in law enforcement in the region.
According to a statement on Monday by the spokesperson of the Agency, Femi Babafemi, the AU Commission stated this on Monday during an assessment visit to the Agency’s National Headquarters in Abuja.
The visiting three-member delegation included the team lead Dr. Olubusayo Akinola, Head of Social Welfare, Drug Control and Crime Prevention; Dr. Abiola Olaleye, Senior Drug Epidemiology and Research Officer; and Prof. Johan Strijdom, Senior Drug Control Consultant.
The visit was to evaluate the African Union Plan of Action on Drug Control and Crime Prevention (2019-2025).
According to Dr. Akinola, “we’re here to understand the status of implementation of this continental action plan on drug control and crime prevention. We are in the process of re-evaluating and starting another continental action plan that will take us from 2026 to 2030. So, we have identified a few countries to understand how this action plan was actually implemented in the member states. And if there are gaps and the new and current emerging trends that we can include.
The AU Commission delegation commended the NDLEA for its sustained provision of critical and policy-relevant data, which has significantly informed and shaped the work of the Commission over the years.
The visit, according to the delegation, aimed to obtain a comprehensive update on the current status of implementation of national drug control strategies, identify operational and institutional gaps, and explore potential areas for technical assistance, particularly in relation to capacity development, forensic science capabilities, canine detection units, and other strategic enablers of drug control efforts.
