The chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, has appealed for the continued support of the National Assembly (NASS) to enhance the capacity and capability of the agency to deliver on its mandate.
General Marwa made the appeal in Abuja when he led the management team to defend the 2025 budget proposal of the agency before the House Committee on Narcotic Drugs and Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics.
The NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, in a statement, in Abuja stated that Marwa also expressed appreciation to the NASS members for their commitment to the nation’s fight against substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.
Marwa emphasized that the NDLEA commands across the federation were contending with significant challenges, particularly a lack of accommodation.
He pleaded for budgetary provisions for the ongoing barracks accommodation for the personnel to enhance their security, dedication, and performance.
The NDLEA boss also thanked President Bola Tinubu for supporting and encouraging the agency, just as he reaffirmed their commitment to working with lawmakers to ensure a drug-free Nigeria.
In the budget proposal for the 2025 fiscal year, the agency was allocated over 67 billion with recurrent personnel cost taking over 47 billion naira, recurrent overhead over 3 billion naira and capital expenditure over 16 billion naira.
Marwa explained that the recurrent personnel cost reflected the nominal role of the agency’s staff strength, totalling over 14,038 officers, men and women, adding that the recurrent overhead cost covered the operational expenses of intelligence gathering, arrests, seizures, investigations, and prosecutions.
The NDLEA boss called for the enhancement of the 16 billion naira provided for capital expenditure, which had zero allocation for the ongoing barracks project component.
Justifying his plea, Marwa said the agency faces growing challenges, including sophisticated drug cartels, drug abuse and inadequate critical infrastructure.
In his remarks, House Committee on Narcotic Drugs chairman Abass Adigun assured of their commitment to adequate funding to enhance NDLEA’s operational successes while chairman of the Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics, Ibrahim Dankwambo, congratulated the agency on its outstanding performance in 2024.
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