President Bola Tinubu has forwarded two bills to the Senate seeking to reform Nigeria’s drug law enforcement system and expand the investigative mandate of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).
The proposed National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Bill 2026 and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau Amendment Bill 2026 were transmitted to the upper chamber in separate letters addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The bills seek to establish a consolidated legal framework for tackling drug-related offences and strengthen the NSIB’s independence by extending its safety investigation responsibilities beyond aviation to other modes of transportation.
In his letter on the NDLEA Bill, Tinubu proposed repealing the existing National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act and the Indian Hemp Act to create a unified legal framework for combating illicit drugs.
The President said the proposed legislation would strengthen enforcement against the cultivation, processing, sale, trafficking and use of hard drugs, while empowering the agency to investigate individuals suspected of involvement in drug-related activities.
The letter reads, “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.”
Tinubu urged the lawmakers to give the bill expeditious consideration.
Following its presentation, Akpabio referred the proposed legislation to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.
In a separate communication, the President submitted the NSIB Amendment Bill 2026, which seeks to amend the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (Establishment) Act No. 35 of 2022.
The proposed amendment is designed to strengthen the bureau’s independence and expand its jurisdiction to cover accidents and incidents involving different transportation systems.
Under the proposed framework, the NSIB’s responsibilities would extend beyond aviation accidents to include rail, maritime and other transport-related incidents.
The bill also proposes transferring supervisory oversight of the bureau to the Presidency while strengthening its institutional, operational and administrative powers.
The proposed reform comes amid renewed attention to aviation safety following the reported October 5 crash of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft near Igbokoda in Ondo State, which reportedly claimed 32 lives.
The Senate has called for a comprehensive investigation into the crash, alongside an audit of military aircraft serviceability and maintenance funding.
In his letter accompanying the NSIB bill, Tinubu requested the Senate’s consideration of the proposed amendment and urged lawmakers to expedite its passage.
Akpabio subsequently referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further consideration.
Both bills will undergo additional legislative scrutiny before any further action is taken.
While the NDLEA proposal seeks to consolidate the legal framework for combating drug-related offences, the NSIB amendment aims to establish a broader system of independent safety investigations across Nigeria’s transportation sector.
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