Tinubu transmits bills to strengthen drug enforcement, make NSIB independent authority to Senate

President Bola Tinubu has transmitted two bills to the Senate seeking to strengthen the enforcement of drug-related offences and reposition the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) as an independent, multimodal safety investigation authority.

The bills seek to repeal and re-enact the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act and the Indian Hemp Act, as well as amend the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (Establishment) Act, 2022.

Mr Tinubu transmitted the bills to the Senate in separate letters read by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during plenary on Tuesday.

He transmitted the bills pursuant to Section 58(2) of the Nigerian Constitution.

NDLEA Bill

In his letter on the proposed NDLEA legislation, Mr Tinubu said the bill seeks to repeal the existing NDLEA Act and the Indian Hemp Act and establish a consolidated legal framework for combating drug-related offences.

He said the proposed legislation would strengthen enforcement against the cultivation, processing, sale, trafficking and use of illicit drugs. It would also empower the agency to investigate persons suspected of involvement in drug-related activities.

“The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Bill 2026 seeks to repeal the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap. N30, and the Indian Hemp Act, Cap. I16, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, and to enact a consolidated framework to enforce the law against the cultivation, processing, sale, trafficking and use of hard drugs,” the president said.

Mr Tinubu urged the lawmakers to give the bill expeditious consideration.

After reading the letter, Mr Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.

Nigeria remains a source, transit and destination country for illicit drugs, with trafficking networks dealing in substances ranging from cannabis and cocaine to methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in its 2025 assessment, reported that methamphetamine production capacity in Nigeria had increased by more than 40 per cent since 2020. The report also highlighted rising seizures of synthetic drugs across West Africa and the region’s continuing role as a transit corridor for cocaine trafficking between Latin America and Europe.

Despite enforcement operations, the scale of the trade remains a challenge for Nigerian authorities. The NDLEA said it arrested more than 18,500 suspected drug offenders and seized over 2.6 million kilograms of illicit substances in 2024.

If the proposed bill is passed, its effectiveness would depend not only on the scope of the new law but also on the agency’s capacity to investigate and prosecute offenders, disrupt trafficking networks, secure the country’s borders and ports, and address the financial proceeds of the illicit trade.

NSIB Amendment Bill

In a separate letter, Mr Tinubu transmitted the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (Amendment) Bill 2026, seeking to amend the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (Establishment) Act, 2022.

The proposed legislation seeks to reposition the bureau as an independent, multimodal safety investigation authority.

Under the proposed changes, the bureau’s mandate would extend beyond aviation accidents and incidents to cover occurrences involving rail, maritime and other modes of transportation.

The bill also seeks to transfer supervisory oversight of the bureau to the Presidency and strengthen its institutional, operational and administrative powers.

The president urged the Senate to consider the proposed legislation.

The senate president subsequently referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.

The proposed amendment to the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) Act comes amid agitation and the need for credible, independent investigations into transportation accidents and serious incidents.

The NSIB, formerly known as the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), investigates transportation accidents to establish their circumstances and probable causes and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents. Its investigations are intended to improve safety rather than determine criminal liability or apportion blame. The bureau’s mandate extends to aviation, maritime and rail transportation.

Repositioning the bureau as an independent, multimodal investigation authority could strengthen its ability to investigate accidents without undue influence from institutions whose activities or oversight responsibilities may be relevant to an investigation.

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It could also help improve public confidence in investigation findings, support the implementation of safety recommendations and promote accountability across the transportation sector.

However, the practical implications will depend on the final provisions of the bill, particularly those governing the bureau’s financial autonomy, appointment of its leadership, access to evidence, publication of investigative reports and protection from interference.

Although the proposed bill seeks to transfer supervisory oversight to the Presidency, the extent to which this arrangement would guarantee operational independence will depend on the safeguards established by the legislation. Independence in accident investigation does not remove the responsibility of regulators, transport operators or law enforcement agencies to act on findings within their respective mandates.