By HeapNews
The French government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse by providing enhanced training, capacity building, and logistical support for the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
The assurance was given on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, during a high-level meeting at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja 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 NDLEA Chairman/CEO, Mohamed Buba Marwa .
Lt. Gen. Colcombet emphasized that the meeting was a follow-up to agreements reached between French President Emmanuel Macron and Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the latter’s recent state visit to France.
“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 many developments,” Colcombet stated. “We’ve been requested to come, develop, follow up, and see how we can further deepen this cooperation.”
He assured that apart from tactical operations training for NDLEA officers, additional slots would be allocated for cyber security training at the French Regional Academy in Côte d’Ivoire. He also pledged logistical support to enhance the effectiveness of the training programs.
In response, NDLEA Chairman Marwa expressed gratitude for the growing partnership between Nigeria and France, attributing it to the strong rapport between Presidents Tinubu and Macron.
“We appreciate the support from the French government and are eager to further deepen our collaboration, particularly in manpower development, cyber and crypto investigations, and tactical operations,” Marwa said.
The French delegation also included Lt. Col. Pierre Yves Dupe, Philippe Baurreau, Colonel Olivier Ductet, and Philippe Crespo.
This renewed cooperation is expected to bolster NDLEA’s ability to combat drug-related crimes and enhance Nigeria’s overall security framework.