NDLEA teams up with Austria to assess drug control strategies in Nigeria

A team of the International Narcotic Control Board (INCB) from Vienna, Austria is meeting with officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Lagos to assess drug control strategies in the country.

NDLEA Chairman, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, while receiving the INCB delegation headed by Dr Galina Korchagina, Vice President of the Board stated that the visit will strengthen the good working relationship between both Agencies.

Dr Galina said that “INCB ensues that adequate drug supplies are available for medical and scientific uses and that leakages from licit sources to illicit traffic do not occur. Nigeria is a crucial country in drug control in the West Africa sub-region and INCB is willing to collaborate with your country in drug control”.

According to Giade, “the visit provides an interactive forum for INCB and NDLEA to appraise Nigeria's position in the control of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. This covers Nigeria’s efforts in the regulation of precursors, suppression of demand for drugs as well as progress recorded in the areas of supply reduction, research, treatment and rehabilitation”.

Areas of mutual interest include the country’s efforts at strengthening or updating legislation and policy on drug control, administrative and institutional framework, compliance with treaty-based reporting and other drug preventive efforts. The NDLEA boss added that Nigeria has recorded steady and commendable progress in drug control over the years, and is working hard to sustain or even surpass its record.

The delegation is expected to visit some of the NDLEA’s formation to have first-hand information in assessing the country’s current position. It will also visit National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) that regulates licit drug supplies. The last time an INCB Delegation visited the country on a similar mission was in 1997.