Nigeria and Qatar have taken a major step toward strengthening bilateral cooperation against illicit drug trafficking with the formal exchange of instruments of ratification between both nations.
The exchange, conducted in Abuja, was carried out by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), and the Qatari Ambassador to Nigeria, Ali Bin Ghanem Al-Hajri.
This development follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on March 3, 2024, in Doha. The agreement focuses on cooperation in combating the illicit trade in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and their precursors.
Speaking during a brief ceremony at the Qatar Embassy in Abuja on Tuesday, Marwa commended Qatar for its collaboration in tackling a global menace that poses a serious threat to public health and security.
He reaffirmed NDLEA’s commitment to working closely with Qatari authorities “to protect our people and countries from the threat of substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking.”
Marwa disclosed that within the last four years, the NDLEA had intercepted over 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis, and other drugs destined for Qatar.
The NDLEA boss also lauded the Qatari government for its global peace-building initiatives and humanitarian interventions through the Qatar Foundation. He appealed for the Foundation’s support in establishing rehabilitation centres to help victims of drug addiction in Nigeria.
Responding, Ambassador Al-Hajri pledged to convey Marwa’s request to the Qatar Foundation, noting that bilateral relations between Nigeria and Qatar have deepened significantly, with increased travel and cooperation between the two nations in recent years.
