Nigeria and Qatar have proceeded to cement their collaboration against drug trafficking by bringing into effect formally the instrument of ratification exchange between the two countries. The exchange was done in the presence of the chairman and chief executive officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), and the Qatari Ambassador to Nigeria, Ali Bin Ghanem Al-Hajri.
The move follows the signing in March 2024, in Doha, by President Bola Tinubu and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate in combating illicit trade in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and their precursors.
At a brief ceremony at the Abuja Qatar Embassy on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, Marwa appreciated the cooperation of Qatar in combating what he described as a global threat to public health and security. He reaffirmed NDLEA’s determination to cooperate closely with the authorities in Qatar to control drug trafficking and abuse.
Marwa disclosed that in the past four years, NDLEA officers have intercepted more than 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis, and other prohibited drugs headed for Qatar. He also commended the Qatari government on its efforts towards peace and humanitarian work through the Qatar Foundation and urged it to contribute towards the opening of rehabilitation centers for treating drug addiction in Nigeria.
In his remarks, Ambassador Al-Hajri vowed to submit Marwa’s application to the Qatar Foundation. He also praised growing ties between Nigeria and Qatar, noting a recent increase in travel and cooperation between the two nations.
