Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates have strengthened cooperation against transnational drug trafficking after their anti-narcotics agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, September 26, 2026.
The agreement was signed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) of Nigeria and the UAE’s National Drug Enforcement Authority (NDEA) on the sidelines of the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, disclosed the development in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday, September 26, 2026.
According to Babafemi, the agreement is aimed at deepening intelligence-sharing and joint enforcement action along the Nigeria-UAE corridor.
NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), said the agreement was the culmination of years of engagement between the two agencies.
Marwa said the new framework would build on existing cooperation, including the exchange of liaison personnel, sharing of operational information and technical cooperation between the agencies.
The NDLEA chairman disclosed that between 2021 and 2026, the agency intercepted about 354.7 kilogrammes of illicit drugs concealed in consignments destined for the UAE.
According to Marwa, the seizures included cocaine, cannabis, tramadol, Rohypnol, ecstasy and khat, while the interceptions resulted in the arrest and prosecution of 47 suspects.
Marwa said the volume of drugs intercepted along the route underscored the need for stronger cooperation between the two countries.
A practical measure under the new partnership will see UAE authorities provide Nigerian travellers with a comprehensive list of prohibited items, according to the NDLEA.
The agency said the measure is intended to help travellers avoid inadvertently violating UAE laws by carrying prohibited substances or items.
Chairman of the NDEA, Sheikh Zayed bin Hamad Al Nahyan, reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to working closely with Nigeria to disrupt trafficking networks exploiting the strong trade, travel and people-to-people links between the two countries.
Al Nahyan described the MoU as a natural progression of the existing relationship between the two agencies, according to the NDLEA statement.
The two agencies said the agreement would support faster intelligence exchanges, stronger coordination of enforcement operations and efforts to dismantle trafficking networks operating along the Nigeria-UAE corridor.
The pact comes as the NDLEA continues its wider crackdown on illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria. The agency’s official website listed several recent operations in September 2026, including cocaine and methamphetamine-related cases.
