By Joy Omagha Idam
Inside the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja, the mood was not that of a usual award ceremony. There were no marching guards. No press frenzy. Just a room full of women who came with a plaque, a message, and a warning: Nigeria’s drug crisis is no longer just a law enforcement problem.
The guests were from the Initiative for Women’s Accelerated Development in Africa, INWOAD, and Phenomenal People Magazine. The host was Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), CON, Chairman/CEO of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
And the message he kept repeating was simple: “NDLEA cannot do it alone.”
The Numbers Behind The Warning
Marwa didn’t mince words. He laid out figures that landed like a punch.
About 15 million Nigerians use drugs. That’s roughly one in every seven people.
One in every four drug users is female.
More than 10 million Nigerians use cannabis alone.
“These figures make it imperative for all stakeholders to move beyond occasional campaigns,” he told the INWOAD delegation led by its President and Founder, Lady Evelyn Hauwa Onyilo. “We need sustained platforms for prevention, especially among mothers, families, schools and communities.”
For Marwa, the evidence is already on the streets. He pointed to disturbing incidents involving children and youths — cases that, he said, reflect what happens when demand is left unchecked.
Enforcement can seize drugs. But it cannot, on its own, change why a 14-year-old picks up a joint, or why a young mother turns to codeine.
Why Women And The Media Matter
That’s where INWOAD comes in.
Founded in 2015, INWOAD works on gender equality, women’s leadership, and protecting girls across Africa. Onyilo told Marwa the group now sees the anti-drug fight as central to protecting families.
“We consider the fight against drug abuse an important component of our broader commitment to protecting families, empowering women and creating opportunities for young people,” she said.
Marwa agreed. He called platforms that engage mothers “powerful channels” for educating families. A mother at the PTA meeting, a women’s leader in the market, a female pastor at Sunday service — these are the people, he argued, who can spot early warning signs before a child disappears into addiction.
He also put the media and celebrities on the frontline. NDLEA, he revealed, is already working with PMAN, the Actors Guild of Nigeria, and other youth groups.
“Celebrities, entertainers, community leaders, women leaders and other influential Nigerians have important roles to play in changing attitudes towards drug use, particularly among young people,” Marwa said.
It’s a shift in strategy. Less raids-only. More town halls, school sensitisation, radio jingles, and Instagram lives.
An Award, And A Partnership
The visit ended with INWOAD and Phenomenal People Magazine presenting Marwa with the “Champion of Drug-Free Nigeria Award” — a recognition of NDLEA’s work under his leadership since 2021.
But Onyilo said the plaque was not the point. The point was partnership.
She announced that INWOAD will host an International Women’s Leadership Summit in Abuja in October 2026, with drug abuse and its impact on women and families as a major theme. She invited NDLEA to provide technical support.
Marwa accepted. He also referenced his 25-year acquaintance with Onyilo, from her days in newscasting to her current advocacy work. “I have confidence that our shared commitment can produce meaningful results,” he said.
Beyond Arrests
What emerged from the meeting was a blueprint NDLEA has been pushing quietly: a whole-of-society response.
Yes, arrest traffickers. Yes, intercept shipments. But also:
- Run seminars in secondary schools
- Train mothers as first responders in homes
- Use musicians and actors to flip the narrative
- Put drug education in the same conversation as malaria and HIV
“The fight is not limited to arresting traffickers,” a senior NDLEA official noted after the meeting. “It increasingly involves preventing drug use before it begins.”
For Marwa, that’s the only way to move the needle on 15 million users.
The Weekender Take
Nigeria loves silver-bullet solutions. But drug abuse, Marwa insists, isn’t one.
You can’t raid your way out of a demand problem. You have to talk your way out of it — in churches, in markets, on TikTok, at women’s meetings.
INWOAD is betting that women can lead that conversation. NDLEA is betting that it needs them to.
As Onyilo put it: women must be “deliberately positioned at the forefront of prevention” because of their role in shaping families.
The award was nice. The real work starts now — in homes across Abuja, Kano, Enugu and Port Harcourt, where the next campaign won’t be led by officers in uniform, but by mothers, teachers, and influencers repeating one line: we cannot fight drugs alone.
Want a 300-word pull-out box for Weekenders with the key stats + “5 things families can do” to run alongside this feature?