The Senate has asked the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to collaborate with civil society and other stakeholders to re-present an amendment to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu withheld assent earlier this year.
Speaking at a technical workshop organised by the NHRC, the Civil Society Human Rights Defenders Forum and the Human Rights Expo in Abuja on Monday, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said the National Assembly had in June 2025 completed legislative work on the amendment to the NDLEA Act, 2004, but the President declined assent on the grounds that one section of the bill breached Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution.
Bamidele, represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Charles Luri-Bala, commended the organisers of the workshop, themed “Towards a Comprehensive Drug Harm Reduction Strategy in Nigeria: Legislative Perspectives and Opportunities.”
The forum aims to develop drug laws and policies that support, rather than endanger, the health and wellbeing of people who use drugs and their communities.
He said the Senate recognises that tackling illicit drug use demands a multi-sectoral strategy anchored on human rights, especially for vulnerable groups.
“At the National Assembly, we believe that an effective drug strategy must shift away from overly punitive policies that only exacerbate stigma to a comprehensive approach that prioritizes treatment, rehabilitation and social reintegration,” he said.
According to him, these principles guided the 10th National Assembly’s effort to amend the 2004 NDLEA Act, a bill that ultimately failed to secure presidential approval.
Tinubu had, in his communication to lawmakers in June 2025, argued that the bill conflicted with the Constitution because it sought to empower the NDLEA to retain part of the proceeds of drug-related crimes. The President insisted that all proceeds of crime must, by law, be remitted into the Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account.
Bamidele stressed, however, that the President’s refusal did not foreclose the bill’s return.
“The fact that Mr President declined assent does not mean the bill cannot be brought again if the section that conflicts with the Constitution is substantially addressed,” he noted.
He urged stakeholders at the forum to forge consensus around necessary corrections, saying the proposed reforms could significantly strengthen Nigeria’s anti-drug efforts and advance national development.
The Senate Leader assured participants that lawmakers remain committed to providing “adequate legal and institutional backing for evidence-based drug-harm-reduction strategies.”
“The insights and recommendations generated from this workshop, particularly from legal and specialist perspectives, will be invaluable for the National Assembly as we consider necessary policy reforms,” he added.
