In furtherance of their statutory drives to frontally tackle incidents of drug abuse and promote healthy living through standardized foods, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Wednesday signed a new deal in Abuja.
The partnership, which will consolidate the cooperation of the two agencies over the years, aims to equip both agencies to combat threats linked to drug abuse and public health risks.
At the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the NDLEA Chairman, Brig. General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), and the NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, expressed optimism that the collaboration would enhance operational capabilities and public safety.
In his remarks, the anti-drug war chief said that the “MoU creates a framework for vital intelligence sharing, facility access, and expertise exchange, strengthening our fight against drug abuse and counterfeit products.”
Marwa maintained that NDLEA’s work against illicit drug trafficking and NAFDAC’s oversight on consumables when combined can effectively address the challenges of drug abuse and substandard food items in the country.
In her remarks, Adeyeye harped on the necessity of collaboration among the two agencies, warning that drug abuse poses direct and indirect risks to the people, and contribute to societal vices such as violence and banditry.
On the imperative of stronger ties between her agency and NDLEA, she maintained: “We can no longer operate in isolation. We must address substance abuse collaboratively to safeguard national security and public well-being.
“This is the reason both agencies have committed to open communication and resource sharing to ensure a robust national response to these threats”, Adeyeye added.
