Tinubu Seeks Drug Law Overhaul As Senate Moves To Strengthen NAFDAC

President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to repeal the Indian Hemp Act and the existing National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act as part of efforts to overhaul Nigeria’s legal framework for combating illicit drugs.

In a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during plenary on Tuesday, Tinubu said the proposed NDLEA Bill, 2026, sought to repeal the NDLEA Act, Cap. N30, and the Indian Hemp Act, Cap. I6, both contained in the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

The proposed legislation seeks to establish a consolidated legal framework for enforcing laws against the cultivation, processing, trafficking and use of illicit drugs.

It would also empower the agency to investigate individuals suspected of involvement in drug-related activities.

Transmitted pursuant to Section 58(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, the bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.

Separately, the Senate considered a bill sponsored by Senator Suleiman Sadiq seeking to repeal and re-enact the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control Act to strengthen the agency’s regulatory and enforcement powers.

Sadiq told lawmakers that the existing law had become increasingly inadequate to address contemporary public health challenges, despite NAFDAC’s contributions to regulating food, medicines and other products.

He said the law had established NAFDAC as a key public health institution, empowering it to regulate food, medicines, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals, packaged water and related products.

While acknowledging the agency’s role in reducing counterfeit medicines and improving pharmaceutical regulation, the senator said scientific innovations and increasingly sophisticated cross-border trade in counterfeit products had exposed gaps in the existing legislation.

“The global regulatory environment has changed dramatically. Scientific innovations have introduced new categories of regulated products. Cross-border movement of counterfeit products has become increasingly sophisticated,” he said.

Sadiq identified biotechnology, artificial intelligence, advanced medical devices, diagnostics, biological products and active pharmaceutical ingredients as developments that were inadequately addressed or entirely absent from the existing law.

He said a comprehensive re-enactment of the Act was necessary to establish a legal framework capable of responding to current and future regulatory challenges.

The proposed legislation would strengthen NAFDAC’s investigative and enforcement powers, including authorising designated officers to inspect premises and vehicles, seize and detain illegal products, seal offending facilities and obtain relevant court orders.

It would also revise the agency’s institutional structure, update the composition of its governing council, strengthen accountability mechanisms and modernise its funding and financial management arrangements.

According to Sadiq, the changes would improve regulatory efficiency while ensuring that enforcement activities comply with due process and constitutional safeguards.

He added that the proposed law would eliminate inconsistencies and provide a clearer framework for regulators, manufacturers, healthcare professionals, investors and the courts.

“Ultimately, this bill is about protecting the lives and health of Nigerians, strengthening confidence in our healthcare system, promoting local manufacturing, facilitating legitimate commerce, improving regulatory efficiency, and ensuring that Nigeria’s food and drug regulatory framework remains responsive to evolving global realities and challenges,” he said.

The Senate also received the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau Amendment Bill, 2026, which seeks to expand the bureau’s mandate beyond aviation to cover maritime and other transport incidents.

The bill also proposes transferring oversight of the bureau to the Presidency and strengthening its institutional, operational and administrative framework.

It was referred to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.