President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded two proposed pieces of legislation to the Senate seeking to strengthen Nigeria’s fight against illicit drugs and restructure the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) into an independent authority responsible for investigating accidents across multiple transport sectors.
The bills seek to repeal and replace the existing National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act and the Indian Hemp Act, while introducing amendments to the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (Establishment) Act, 2022.
The President transmitted the proposals in separate letters read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary on Tuesday. The submissions were made in accordance with Section 58(2) of the Nigerian Constitution.
PROPOSED LAW TO STRENGTHEN DRUG ENFORCEMENT
In his letter concerning the proposed National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Bill 2026, President Tinubu explained that the legislation would consolidate existing laws governing the control and enforcement of drug-related offences in Nigeria.
The proposed law seeks to repeal the current NDLEA Act and the Indian Hemp Act and establish a unified legal framework to combat the cultivation, processing, sale, trafficking and use of illicit drugs.
It would also strengthen the agency’s powers to investigate individuals suspected of participating in drug-related activities.
President Tinubu urged the Senate to give the proposal urgent consideration. Following the presentation of the letter, Senate President Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.
Nigeria continues to face significant challenges from illicit drug production and trafficking, serving as a source, transit route and destination for various substances, including cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs.
A 2025 assessment by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported that Nigeria’s capacity to produce methamphetamine had increased by more than 40 per cent since 2020. The assessment also highlighted rising seizures of synthetic drugs across West Africa and the region’s importance as a transit route for cocaine moving from Latin America to Europe.
Despite continued enforcement operations, the scale of the illicit drug trade remains a major concern.
The NDLEA reported that it arrested more than 18,500 suspected drug offenders and seized over 2.6 million kilogrammes of illicit substances in 2024.
The effectiveness of the proposed legislation will depend not only on the legal powers granted to the agency but also on its ability to investigate and prosecute offenders, disrupt trafficking networks, strengthen border and port security, and trace the financial proceeds of illegal drug activities.
TINUBU SEEKS TO REPOSITION NSIB AS INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION AUTHORITY
In a separate letter, President Tinubu submitted the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (Amendment) Bill 2026, which seeks to amend the bureau’s enabling legislation enacted in 2022.
The proposed amendment is designed to establish the NSIB as an independent, multimodal safety investigation authority, expanding its responsibilities beyond aviation accidents and incidents to include occurrences involving railways, maritime transportation and other modes of transport.
The legislation also proposes transferring supervisory oversight of the bureau to the Presidency while strengthening its institutional, operational and administrative powers.
President Tinubu urged the Senate to consider the proposal, which was subsequently referred to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further action.
The proposed reform comes amid growing calls for credible and independent investigations into transportation accidents and serious safety incidents across Nigeria.
Formerly known as the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), the NSIB investigates transportation accidents to determine their circumstances and probable causes. It also makes recommendations aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.
Such investigations are primarily intended to improve safety rather than establish criminal responsibility or assign blame. The bureau’s responsibilities cover aviation, maritime and rail transportation.
Granting the agency greater independence could strengthen its ability to conduct investigations without undue influence, particularly where the activities or oversight responsibilities of other institutions may be relevant to an incident.
It could also improve public confidence in investigation findings, encourage the implementation of safety recommendations and promote accountability across the transport sector.
However, the practical impact of the proposed reforms will depend on the final provisions of the legislation, including safeguards relating to financial autonomy, leadership appointments, access to evidence, publication of investigation reports and protection against interference.
Although the proposal seeks to place the bureau under the supervisory oversight of the Presidency, the extent of its operational independence will depend on the safeguards established by the law.
Greater independence would not remove the responsibility of regulators, transport operators or law enforcement agencies to act on investigation findings within their respective areas of authority.
Both bills will be subject to further legislative consideration before any proposed changes can become law.
