Juliet Akoje in Abuja
The House of Representatives has passed for second reading a bill seeking to empower the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to establish, manage and operate drug abuse treatment, counselling and rehabilitation centres across the country.
The bill, sponsored by Hon. Garba Mohammed, seeks to amend the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, to establish a legal framework for the restructuring, regulation and professional management of rehabilitation facilities under the supervision of qualified medical practitioners.
Leading the debate on the proposed legislation, Mohammed said the amendment was intended to strengthen treatment and rehabilitation services while promoting the social reintegration of individuals dependent on or affected by the abuse of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
He explained that the proposed changes would bring the agency’s responsibilities in line with modern public health principles and international drug control standards, ensuring that Nigeria’s approach to substance abuse goes beyond law enforcement, arrests and prosecution to include medical care and recovery support.
The lawmaker recalled that the NDLEA was established to combat the cultivation, production, trafficking and abuse of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
He noted that the agency had recorded significant achievements through enforcement operations, drug seizures, arrests and prosecutions.
However, he warned that drug abuse had developed into a major public health and social challenge in Nigeria, particularly among young people and other vulnerable populations.
According to him, the growing incidence of substance dependence has placed considerable pressure on families, communities, healthcare facilities and the criminal justice system, underscoring the need for a more comprehensive and coordinated response.
Mohammed observed that the existing NDLEA Act was largely centred on enforcement and prosecution without establishing a clear statutory framework for the professional management of drug treatment, counselling and rehabilitation centres across the country.
He said existing rehabilitation efforts remained fragmented and inconsistently regulated with several facilities operating without the supervision of qualified medical practitioners.
“While the current NDLEA Act focuses primarily on enforcement and prosecution, it does not provide a clear statutory framework for professionally managed treatment, counselling, and rehabilitation centres across the Federation. Existing rehabilitation efforts are fragmented, inconsistently regulated, and in many instances not under the supervision of qualified medical practitioners,” he said.
The sponsor further argued that international approaches to drug control increasingly emphasised the need to combine law enforcement with medical treatment, psychological support and rehabilitation to achieve sustainable recovery for people affected by drug dependence.
He stressed that contemporary international standards advocated a balanced strategy that integrated enforcement with treatment, counselling and social reintegration, noting that substance dependence was widely recognised as a medical and psychological condition requiring structured, professional and humane intervention.
“Modern international drug control standards now emphasise a balanced approach that combines enforcement with treatment, counselling, and social reintegration. Drug dependence is widely recognised as a medical and psychological condition that requires structured, professional, and humane interventions,” he said.
Mohammed expressed confidence that the proposed legislation would give the NDLEA the legal authority to establish, maintain and operate drug abuse treatment, counselling and rehabilitation centres in any part of Nigeria, with each facility placed under the leadership of a qualified medical practitioner.
He explained that the arrangement would ensure professional oversight, improve the effectiveness of treatment and provide structured support to help individuals recovering from drug dependence reintegrate into society.
According to the lawmaker, the bill’s primary objective was to amend the existing NDLEA Act to expressly empower the agency to operate rehabilitation facilities nationwide under appropriate medical supervision.
He added that the amendment would strengthen the legal and institutional framework for treating and rehabilitating people affected by drug abuse while aligning the agency’s mandate with contemporary public health principles and internationally accepted drug control standards.
Furthermore, Clause 2 of the bill seeks to amend Section 3 of the principal Act by introducing a new subsection (3), which would authorise the NDLEA to establish, maintain and operate drug abuse treatment, counselling and rehabilitation centres across the Federation.
Under the proposed provision, each centre would be headed by a qualified medical practitioner and offer medical treatment, psychological counselling and social reintegration services to people affected by drug abuse and dependence.
Reiterating the need for a shift from a predominantly punitive response to drug abuse, Mohammed said Nigeria’s drug control strategy must integrate enforcement with treatment, counselling and rehabilitation to address the problem more effectively.
He described the proposed amendment as legislation that would introduce a modern, humane and medically grounded framework for managing drug dependence and facilitating the reintegration of affected persons into society.
“The Bill will strengthen the institutional capacity of the NDLEA, improve recovery outcomes for affected persons, reduce drug-related crimes, and align Nigeria’s drug control framework with global best practices,” he added.