By HeapNews
ABUJA, Jan 13, 2026 — Senior officials from the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) on Tuesday met with Nigeria’s anti-narcotics chief, Mohamed Buba Marwa, and promised to strengthen cooperation with the country’s drug enforcement agency as both sides seek to curb the flow of illicit drugs and related crime.
The delegation, led by Philip Esch, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s liaison to AFRICOM, met with Marwa, chairman and chief executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Esch described the relationship between the NDLEA and U.S. law enforcement as “of utmost importance” to Washington and praised Marwa’s leadership and openness to international partnerships.
“We appreciate all the support and the leadership you provide,” Esch said, adding that U.S. agencies were keen to continue working closely with the NDLEA following the renewal of Marwa’s tenure.
Another member of the delegation, James Elseth, said the NDLEA’s work in Nigeria was helping to improve security beyond the country’s borders, noting that organised crime networks often operate across regions.
“A lot of countries that we work with are only focused on their country,” Elseth said. “But just like DEA and FBI, we have an international mindset to try to stop organised crime from impacting our respective countries.”
He commended the NDLEA for maintaining equipment and facilities previously provided by the United States, and said two major support projects were already underway, alongside continued training programmes.
In his response, Marwa thanked the delegation for the visit and acknowledged ongoing support from AFRICOM and other international partners, which he said had contributed to the agency’s recent gains. He also congratulated Esch on his years of service to the U.S. government.
“We appreciate very much the ongoing support from AFRICOM,” Marwa said, adding that Nigeria’s current administration had encouraged closer international cooperation in tackling drug trafficking.
He urged the United States to expand assistance, citing the links between illicit drugs and terrorism, and listed priority needs including airport scanning equipment, digital forensic tools, portable drug detection devices, upgraded laboratories and sniffer dogs.
The meeting comes as Nigeria intensifies efforts to disrupt drug trafficking networks that operate within the country and across West Africa, a region long used as a transit route for narcotics bound for Europe and other markets.