President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reappointed Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa as Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, extending his tenure for another five years and solidifying his role at the forefront of Nigeria’s anti-narcotics campaign.
The renewed mandate means Marwa will continue leading the agency until 2031, furthering a reform-driven approach that has garnered national and international recognition.
Marwa’s initial appointment came in January 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, following his service as Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse from 2018 to 2020.
His transition from advisory leadership to operational command marked a turning point for the NDLEA, which has since been revitalized with new strategies, extended surveillance networks, improved intelligence coordination, and widened public engagement on drug abuse awareness.
A distinguished military officer, Marwa boasts a robust professional background. He is an alumnus of the Nigerian Military School and the Nigerian Defence Academy, rising through the ranks to serve as Brigade Major of the 23 Armoured Brigade, Aide-de-Camp to then Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant-General Theophilus Danjuma, and Academic Registrar of the Nigerian Defence Academy.
His international postings include deputy defense adviser at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, DC, and defense adviser at the Nigerian Mission to the United Nations.
Academically, Marwa holds two postgraduate degrees: a Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.
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These credentials have shaped his management philosophy, blending military precision with policy-driven reforms.
Under his leadership, the NDLEA has recorded major achievements, including the arrests of over 73,000 drug traffickers—ranging from street-level mules to high-profile barons—and the seizure of more than 15 million kilogrammes of illicit substances.
These operations have been accompanied by nationwide advocacy campaigns aimed at reducing drug addiction, especially among young Nigerians, whom Marwa frequently describes as the nation’s most endangered demographic in the battle against narcotics.
President Tinubu, in reaffirming Marwa’s mandate, praised his diligence and visible impact. “Your reappointment is a vote of confidence in your onerous efforts to rid our country of the menace of drug trafficking and drug abuse,” the president stated, urging the NDLEA boss to intensify his pursuit of traffickers who endanger communities.
Marwa’s renewed tenure provides continuity for Nigeria’s anti-drug war at a time of growing trafficking sophistication, regional smuggling networks, and rising domestic abuse.
His next five years are expected to strengthen institutional capacity, deepen cross-border collaborations, and reinforce preventive programmes targeting schools and communities.
With this reappointment, the NDLEA enters another phase of stability, guided by a leader whose record has reshaped the agency’s identity and expanded its national relevance.
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