Proposals would consolidate anti-drug legislation and expand the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau’s remit across transport modes.
President Bola Tinubu has forwarded two legislative proposals to the Senate seeking changes to Nigeria’s drug-control framework and the powers of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
In separate communications to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the President requested consideration of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Bill 2026 and the NSIB Amendment Bill 2026. Both were referred to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further processing.
The proposed drug legislation would repeal the existing National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act and the Indian Hemp Act and replace them with a consolidated framework governing the cultivation, processing, sale, trafficking and use of prohibited substances. It also proposes clearer investigative authority for the NDLEA in relation to suspected drug offenses.
The separate NSIB amendment seeks to strengthen the bureau’s status as a multimodal accident and incident investigation body. Its responsibilities would extend across aviation, rail, maritime and other transportation sectors, with proposed changes to its administrative and supervisory arrangements.
The Presidency said the amendments were intended to improve the institutions’ ability to respond to changing operational and enforcement demands. In the case of the NSIB, the proposal also envisages a transfer of supervisory oversight to the Presidency.
The bills remain proposals and do not alter existing law unless passed by the National Assembly and assented to in accordance with constitutional requirements. Their eventual effect will depend on the final statutory wording, institutional safeguards and resources made available for implementation.
