Tinubu Transmits NDLEA, NSIB Amendment Bills to Senate

President Bola Tinubu has transmitted two bills to the Senate seeking to strengthen Nigeria’s drug enforcement framework and expand the investigative mandate of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).

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

The bills seek to consolidate existing laws on drug-related offences and reposition the NSIB as an independent safety investigation authority with responsibilities extending beyond aviation accidents to other modes of transportation.

In his letter on the NDLEA Bill, Tinubu said the proposed legislation would repeal the existing National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act and the Indian Hemp Act, replacing them with a consolidated legal framework for tackling illicit drugs.

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

“The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Bill 2026 seeks to repeal the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap. N30, and the Indian Hemp Act, Cap. I16, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, and to enact a consolidated framework to enforce the law against the cultivation, processing, sale, trafficking and use of hard drugs,” the letter stated.

Tinubu urged senators to give the proposed legislation expeditious consideration, expressing confidence that the bills would receive the chamber’s attention.

Following the presentation of the NDLEA Bill, Akpabio referred it to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.

The NSIB Amendment Bill seeks to broaden the bureau’s role by establishing a multimodal safety investigation framework. The proposed changes would extend its jurisdiction beyond aviation incidents, strengthening its capacity to investigate safety occurrences across different transport sectors.

The transmission of the bills marks the beginning of their consideration by the Senate. They will require further legislative action before any proposed changes can become law.

The proposals form part of efforts to update Nigeria’s legal and institutional frameworks for drug control and transport safety investigation.