The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the United Arab Emirates’ National Drug Enforcement Authority (NDEA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen intelligence-sharing and joint operations against drug trafficking along the Nigeria-UAE corridor.

The agreement was signed on Saturday, September 26, 2026, on the sidelines of the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the agreement followed years of engagement between both agencies and would provide a stronger framework for tackling trafficking networks operating between the two countries.

Marwa said NDLEA had intercepted about 354.7 kilogrammes of illicit drugs, including cocaine, cannabis, tramadol, Rohypnol, ecstasy and khat, in consignments destined for the UAE between 2021 and 2026.

He said 47 suspects had been arrested and prosecuted in connection with the seizures, adding that the strong trade and travel links between Nigeria and the UAE made closer cooperation necessary to disrupt trafficking activities.

The NDLEA boss disclosed that the agency arrested more than 91,000 suspects, including 243 alleged drug barons, between January 2021 and July 2026.

He added that the agency seized over 15.5 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals and secured 16,469 convictions within the same period.

According to Marwa, more than 53,000 drug users had also received counselling, treatment and rehabilitation, while the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse campaign had reached nearly 5.9 million Nigerians through school and community-based programmes.

He said the new agreement would expand existing areas of cooperation between the two agencies, including the exchange of liaison officers, operational intelligence and technical support.

Marwa added that the UAE would provide Nigerian travellers with detailed information on prohibited items to help them avoid inadvertently violating the country’s drug laws.

The Chairman of the NDEA, Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan, reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to working with Nigeria to dismantle trafficking networks operating along their trade and travel routes.

He described the agreement as an extension of the existing cooperation between the two agencies.

Both organisations said the MoU would enhance intelligence-sharing, facilitate coordinated enforcement operations and strengthen efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks along the Nigeria-UAE route.

They added that the partnership was in line with both countries’ international obligations to combat illicit drug trafficking under the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime framework.