President Bola Tinubu has transmitted two proposed amendments to the Senate for consideration, seeking to strengthen the legal framework governing drug enforcement and broaden the investigative responsibilities of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).

The bills, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Bill 2026 and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau Amendment Bill 2026, were forwarded in separate letters addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The proposed legislation was transmitted pursuant to Section 58(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

In his letter on the NDLEA Bill, Tinubu proposed repealing the existing National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act and the Indian Hemp Act to establish a consolidated legal framework for tackling drug-related offences.

The proposed law seeks to strengthen enforcement against the cultivation, processing, sale, trafficking and use of illicit drugs. It would also empower the agency to investigate individuals suspected of involvement in drug-related activities.

The President urged the Senate to give the bill expeditious consideration. Following its presentation, Akpabio referred it to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.

In a separate communication, Tinubu transmitted the NSIB Amendment Bill 2026, which seeks to amend the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (Establishment) Act No. 35 of 2022.

The proposed amendment would expand the bureau’s responsibilities beyond aviation accidents to cover incidents involving rail, maritime and other modes of transportation.

It also seeks to strengthen the bureau’s independence and institutional, operational and administrative powers, while transferring supervisory oversight to the Presidency.

The proposed expansion comes amid renewed attention to aviation safety following the October 5 crash involving a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft near Igbokoda in Ondo State, which reportedly killed 32 people.

The Senate has called for a comprehensive investigation into the crash, alongside an audit of military aircraft serviceability and maintenance funding.

Akpabio also referred the NSIB amendment proposal to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further consideration.

Both bills will undergo legislative scrutiny before any decision is taken on their passage. If enacted, the proposed changes would establish a consolidated framework for drug law enforcement and broaden independent safety investigations across Nigeria’s transport sector.