Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has expressed concern over the growing sophistication of criminal networks that exploit technology, regulatory gaps, and corrupted port channels. Speaking at a conference organized by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Apapa, Lagos, he called for collaboration among stakeholders to curb insecurity in the maritime space.
Sanwo-Olu Highlights Maritime Vulnerabilities
The governor, represented by his Special Adviser on Blue Economy, Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, noted that criminal actors are diversifying their methods. He described the conference theme as both apt and urgent, emphasizing that Lagos State, as Nigeria's commercial nerve center and gateway to West Africa's maritime trade, occupies a defining position in this conversation.
Sanwo-Olu stated that the conference serves as a declaration of national intent that Nigeria will no longer allow its maritime domain to be exploited for crime, narcotics, or piracy. He cited NDLEA operational data showing that in 2024 alone, the agency seized over 2.6 million kilogrammes of illicit drugs, arrested more than 18,500 offenders, and secured convictions of over 3,250 individuals, including 10 drug barons.
“Over the preceding three years, operations at Nigerian ports resulted in the confiscation of at least 750 tonnes of illicit substances. These figures are a testament to the NDLEA’s resolve, but they also underscore the sheer scale of the challenge we face,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He noted that Nigeria handles over seventy percent of West Africa’s maritime trade volume, and the country’s extensive coastline, twin ports at Apapa and Tin Can Island, inland waterways, and growing marine logistics sector are both engines of prosperity and points of vulnerability. According to data from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigeria’s untapped Blue Economy potential is valued at approximately $296 billion, with the maritime sector contributing an estimated $10 to $15 billion annually to GDP.
NDLEA Calls for Unified Strategy
Earlier, NDLEA Director of Seaports Operations, ACG Archieabis Ibinabo, emphasized that drug trafficking is interconnected with money laundering, arms smuggling, human trafficking, terrorism, and violent crimes. She noted that maritime drug trafficking has become increasingly sophisticated, with criminal syndicates deploying advanced techniques, and called for deepening synergy among security agencies.
NDLEA Chairman Brig Gen Mohammed Marwa (rtd), represented by DCGN Ahmed Garba, stressed that securing maritime waters is a collective crusade. He said the conference aims to harmonize perspectives, bridge operational gaps, and ensure participants leave with a renewed sense of mission. Marwa highlighted the NDLEA’s shift to a proactive maritime posture, including increased boots on the water, cargo risk profiling, and deepened intelligence sharing with the Nigerian Navy, NIMASA, Customs, and international partners.
“Securing our prosperity is a developmental imperative. It is about protecting the fisherman’s livelihood; ensuring the safety of the merchant sailor; preserving biodiversity for the next generation, while we need a unified strategy that integrates technological surveillance, that is, maritime domain awareness with anti-corruption safeguards and regional intelligence sharing,” Marwa added.
He reaffirmed the NDLEA’s commitment to transforming Nigeria’s maritime domain and called for collaboration with policymakers, the judiciary, and enforcement officers. Marwa noted that recent studies suggest 80 percent of drugs reaching West African shores are funneled through the Gulf of Guinea, and that Nigeria’s maritime environment is both a blessing and a battlefield.
“The creation of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy in 2023 was a visionary masterstroke, but for this ministry to succeed, the Blue must remain Clear—free from the pollution of organized crime. Safeguarding this economy requires more than just patrol boats; it requires a robust legal fortress,” he said.
Marwa cited recent successes, including the seizure of 1,000 kg of cocaine at Tin Can Island and another 1,000 kg at PTML, as well as over two billion pills of tramadol and millions of codeine bottles in the last two years. He also warned of the environmental toll from chemical waste dumped into waters.
NPA and Legal Perspectives
A representative of the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, emphasized the importance of collaboration in tackling marine insecurity, stating that there can be no sustainable prosperity without security. He commended the NDLEA for its professionalism and reaffirmed NPA’s readiness to deepen collaboration with stakeholders.
In his presentation, NDLEA’s Head of Prosecution and Legal Services, Assistant Commander-General of Narcotics Adekunle Adebajo, noted that smugglers utilize the vast, porous Atlantic coastline stretching from Ghana through Togo and Benin to land illicit substances at Nigerian entry points like Badagry, Lekki, and the Niger Delta. He said the blue economy cannot flourish in an environment of lawlessness, and that the Gulf of Guinea has witnessed a sophisticated evolution in organized crime, including the “skunk” trade—high potency cannabis cultivated in Ghana.
“The trade in illicit drug substances within the coastal waters of Nigeria is not just a drug problem but a security threat that funds broader maritime instability. By harmonizing the SPOMO Act with the NDLEA Act and adopting high technology surveillance, Nigeria can secure its waters for legitimate economic activity,” Adebajo added.
