The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has officially relocated its headquarters to a new facility in the Jahi area of Abuja.
The first phase of the project inaugurated during an interdenominational service on Wednesday, is expected to be completed with the 2025 budgetary provisions.
This was disclosed in a statement by the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi on Wednesday.
Speaking at the ceremony, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa, described the move as a vital step in the agency’s development.
Marwa explained that the new headquarters was necessary to accommodate the agency’s expansion and improve operations.
He stated, “I’m glad we have finally moved in to occupy this facility after initial budgetary constraints. Even though this is the first phase of the new headquarters project, we are hopeful that we will be able to complete the process with next year’s budget.
“This is not 100% completed but it is sufficiently functional for us to move in because I was determined to move in before the end of 2024 because with the expansion of the Agency, the headquarters also expanded, and in our old location we could not accommodate everyone. I have had to post scores of officers due to a lack of space for them to work.
“It was for this reason that the management took a unanimous decision that since it was not 100% ready and we needed it, we should make it a low-key inauguration ceremony. This will enable us to relocate some of our directorates still operating outside Abuja into one facility to consolidate our operations for efficiency, effectiveness and seamless coordination.”
He added that the old head office in Gimbiya, Garki area of the FCT will continue to serve as the headquarters annex.
He thanked President Bola Tinubu for his continued support and encouragement to the agency to be in a position to achieve its mandate of curbing substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country.
“The support we are getting from our international partners and local stakeholders, especially President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly, the Judiciary and the citizenry, is not just to appreciate our efforts but to encourage us to do more and I believe this new work environment will motivate you to surpass past feats,” Marwa stated.
In his welcome remarks, the agency’s Secretary, Shadrach Haruna, commended Marwa for providing inspiring leadership that has in three years transformed NDLEA into the same class as its counterparts across the world in terms of professionalism, capability and capacity.
Haruna said, “The commissioning of our headquarters today is part of the incremental but well-laid agenda for the repositioning of the Agency by the chairman. We have witnessed some monumental achievements since 2021, including increasing the staff strength of the Agency from 5,000 to 15,000. Promotion of officers, opening up of vacancies, payment of accumulated allowances to staff and widows of our fallen officers, the recent amendment of the Agency’s enabling law by the National Assembly, and many more.
Christian and Islamic prayers were offered for Tinubu and Nigeria while a commemorative plaque was unveiled to mark the event.