France has pledged increased support for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in the areas of training, capacity building, and logistics to enhance the agency’s fight against substance abuse, and illicit drug trafficking.
The assurance was given on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, during a high-level meeting between a French delegation led by Lt. Gen. Regis Colcombet, Director of Security and Defence Cooperation at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (rtd), at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Lt. Gen. Colcombet described the meeting as a follow-up to agreements reached between President Emmanuel Macron of France, and President Bola Tinubu, during Tinubu’s state visit to France.
He recalled a previous engagement with Marwa in France, two years ago, which laid the foundation for deeper collaboration in tackling drug-related crimes.
“It’s important for us to be here because it’s now three months, after the very successful state visit of your president to France, which has led to significant developments.
“We’ve been requested to come, develop, follow up, and see how we can further strengthen this cooperation. It’s very important,” Colcombet stated.
Read also: Delta Government partners NDLEA to launch statewide “Drug Free Delta” campaign
Responding to the NDLEA’s requests for further assistance, Lt. Gen. Colcombet assured that France will provide specialized training for NDLEA officers across various commands, and formations, particularly in tactical operations.
Additionally, more slots would be allocated for personnel training in cyber-security at the French Regional Academy in Côte d’Ivoire.
He also confirmed that necessary logistics will be supplied, to enhance the practical implementation of the training programmes.
NDLEA Chairman, Mohamed Marwa, expressed appreciation for the strong bilateral ties between Nigeria and France, which he attributed to the good rapport between Presidents Tinubu and Macron.
He noted that the strengthened relationship has enabled the NDLEA to collaborate more effectively with its French counterparts, in the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime.
Marwa acknowledged the continuous support from France, and requested further assistance in manpower development and capacity building, particularly in tactical operations, cyber and crypto-currency investigations, and intelligence gathering.
