President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the reappointment of Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) as Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), extending his tenure for another five years.
Marwa, who first assumed office in January 2021 under former President Muhammadu Buhari, previously chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse between 2018 and 2020. His renewed appointment means he will continue to lead the agency until 2031.
The Adamawa-born retired military officer has had a long and distinguished career. A graduate of the Nigerian Military School and the Nigerian Defence Academy, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1973. He later served as brigade major of the 23 Armoured Brigade, Aide-de-Camp to then Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, and academic registrar of the NDA. His diplomatic postings include Deputy Defence Adviser at the Nigerian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and Defence Adviser to Nigeria’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations.
Marwa is also an alumnus of the University of Pittsburgh, where he earned a Master of Public and International Affairs, and Harvard University, where he received a Master of Public Administration.
Since assuming leadership of the NDLEA, Marwa has overseen major anti-narcotics operations, including the arrest of more than 73,000 drug traffickers and the seizure of over 15 million kilogrammes of illicit substances. His administration has also intensified nationwide campaigns on drug abuse prevention.
“Your reappointment is a vote of confidence in your efforts to rid our country of the menace of drug trafficking and drug abuse. I urge you not to relent,” President Tinubu said.
The announcement was conveyed in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, on November 14, 2025.
