By Ini Janetty
As a long-time advocate for stringent drug laws and a tireless campaigner against trafficking, I welcome the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC). This agreement, forged in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, represents a significant stride in the global war against narcotics by fostering deeper cooperation between our two nations.
The objectives are clear: intelligence sharing, joint operations, and mutual capacity building to combat narcotic and psychotropic substances and their precursors. In an era where criminal networks grow ever more sophisticated, no single nation can tackle the scourge of drug trafficking in isolation.
The MoU could well be the pivot needed to disrupt the entrenched global drug trade. This partnership follows a pattern of recent international collaborations by Nigeria, including talks with The Gambia and other African states. Such moves underline our nation’s growing commitment to combatting trafficking as a global issue, not merely a domestic one.
Yet, while these diplomatic gestures are promising, their success must be judged by the impact on ordinary citizens. Drug trafficking does not merely ensnare its participants—it devastates families, shatters communities, and corrodes the moral fabric of society. Addiction, violence, and poverty often follow in its wake. As such, enforcement alone is not enough.
True success lies in pairing enforcement with prevention. This means robust public education campaigns, community engagement, and addressing the root causes that push people into drug abuse and trafficking—unemployment, lack of education, and social disenfranchisement. We must stop treating the symptoms and instead heal the disease at its source.
Too often, our discussions around trafficking fixate on statistics – seizures, arrests and convictions. But what happens after the busts? Where is the support for the affected communities? Are we rehabilitating those addicted or merely punishing them?
Both Nigeria and Saudi Arabia must ensure that the partnership is not mired in bureaucracy. Periodic public updates and measurable outcomes must be part of the deal. Without accountability, even the most promising initiatives risk becoming hollow gestures.
Furthermore, the success of this MoU cannot rest solely on governmental agencies. For lasting change, all segments of society must be involved – religious and educational institutions, community leaders, and families. These are the grassroots influencers who shape behaviours and values. Their involvement is indispensable.
Preventive strategies must target the youth – those most vulnerable to the lure of drug culture. We must offer education, opportunity, and hope. Simultaneously, rehabilitation must be prioritised, not sidelined. Our society must extend a hand to the fallen, not just cast judgement upon them.
As the Nigeria-Saudi MoU is operationalised, we must ask: what next? What are the tangible outcomes we should expect? Arrests are not the only metric of success. True progress is reflected in lives redeemed, families restored, and communities renewed.
This agreement marks a hopeful step forward. But real success lies not in signed papers or press conferences, but in action. If we are to win this war, we must adopt an integrated approach—one that unites enforcement with prevention, rehabilitation, and reintegration. Only through such a holistic strategy can we hope to dismantle the networks of destruction that drug trafficking has built—and replace them with strong, thriving communities.
Let this not be just another ceremonial handshake. Let it be the turning point in our national fight against drugs—a war we cannot afford to lose.
• Janetty writes from Makurdi, Benue State