Nigeria, Qatar solidify pact to combat drug trafficking

Nigeria and Qatar have officially activated a strategic partnership to combat illicit drug trafficking, following a symbolic exchange of ratified instruments in Abuja.

The ceremony, held at the Qatar Embassy, saw Buba Marwa, the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), and Ali Bin Ghanem Al-Hajri, Qatar’s Ambassador to Nigeria, formalize the agreement.

According to Femi Babafemi, the Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA in a statement, this activation follows the historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in Doha on March 3, 2024.

The agreement outlines cooperation on combating the illicit trade in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and their precursors.

During the event, the NDLEA Chairman, stressed the NDLEA’s commitment to the collaboration, highlighting the global threat posed by substance abuse.

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He revealed that in the last four years, the agency had intercepted over 1,000 kilograms of various narcotics, including cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine, that were destined for Qatar.

Lauding the Qatari government’s humanitarian work through the Qatar Foundation, the NDLEA chief also appealed for the foundation’s support in providing rehabilitation facilities for the treatment of people with drug addiction in Nigeria.

In response, Al-Hajri affirmed that the bilateral partnership has greatly improved, noting a recent increase in travel between the two countries.

He assured Marwa that the request for assistance with rehabilitation centers would be promptly conveyed to the Qatar Foundation for consideration.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.