Nigeria launches drug control master plan.

A multi-sectoral five-year National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) to provide an integrated, comprehensive roadmap for multi-sectoral interventions to address a wide array of drug related issues has been launched Friday, 26th June, 2015, in Abuja.

The launch coincided with the global celebration of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

The NDCMP master plan in line with international drug control conventions outlines activities that will help reduce the incidences of illicit cultivation, production, use, and trafficking of narcotic substances.

While speaking during the occasion, Alhaji Ahmadou Giade Chairman National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said that “the National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) was borne out of the necessity to tackle holistically, the issue of Drug related offences in the country.”

While he noted that the master plan which was endorsed by former President Goodluck Jonathan on 22nd May, 2015 was formulated in partnership with UNODC and 35- member Inter-Ministerial Committee(IMC) including Federal Ministry of Information.

He said the implementation of the master plan will be for the period of 5 years (2015-2019) and its implementation would be a radical departure from the erstwhile master plan introduced in 2008 – 2011.

According to Giade, “The formulation of the NDCMP is no doubt one of the concrete measures aimed at flushing the country of the drug scourge towards improving the battered image of the country.”


Mrs Roli George, NDLEA Director General expressed the belief that “the NDCMP will provide a solid platform to strengthen responses on drug–related issues that will promote health, security and well being of all Nigerians.”

According to the NDLEA DG, the NDCMP highlights the approaches for sustaining drug demand reduction programmes and the methodology for accessing drugs for licit use while preventing its diversion, “all these are outlined under four main pillars:

a) law enforcement,
b) drug demand reduction,
c) access and control of narcotics and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes, and,
d) coordination.” She commended the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the European Union (EU) for their financial and human resources support towards actualization of the 2015-2019 master plan.

The launching of the NDCMP attracted high profile individuals, NDLEAs former DGs and Board Chairmen, Ambassadors and the Country Representatives of the European Union and UNODC.

Speaking at the event, UNODC Project Coordinator Glenn Prichard said UNODC is currently supporting the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Drug Control (IMCDC) to develop an operational plan and a monitoring and evaluation framework that will facilitate implementation of the Master Plan.

Source:Fed. Min. of Information