President Bola Tinubu has moved to scrap Nigeria’s decades-old Indian Hemp Act as part of a proposed overhaul of the country’s drug control framework, seeking to consolidate existing laws governing illicit drugs under a new National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) bill.
The proposal, transmitted to the Senate, would repeal both the existing NDLEA Act and the Indian Hemp Act, Cap. I6, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and establish a consolidated legal framework for combating illicit drug cultivation, processing, trafficking and use.
The proposed reform comes alongside a separate legislative push to expand the enforcement powers of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), reflecting efforts to update Nigeria’s regulatory framework for drugs, medicines, food and other products amid changing public health risks.
Tinubu’s request was conveyed in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during Tuesday’s plenary.
The bill seeks to strengthen the NDLEA’s legal authority to investigate people suspected of involvement in drug-related activities and bring existing drug control provisions under a more unified framework.
The Senate referred the proposal to its Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.
In a related development, Senator Suleiman Sadiq urged the Senate to repeal and re-enact the NAFDAC Act, arguing that the existing law had not adequately kept pace with scientific advances, emerging public health threats and increasingly sophisticated cross-border trade in counterfeit products.
Sadiq said NAFDAC had played a significant role in regulating food, medicines, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals, packaged water and other regulated products.
However, he identified biotechnology, artificial intelligence, advanced medical devices, diagnostics, biological products and active pharmaceutical ingredients as areas requiring a more comprehensive regulatory framework.
“The global regulatory environment has changed brilliantly,” he said, making the case for a broad overhaul rather than amendments to selected provisions.
The proposed legislation would empower designated officers to inspect premises and vehicles, seize and detain illegal products, seal facilities involved in offences and seek relevant orders from competent courts.
It would also revise NAFDAC’s institutional structure, update the composition of its governing council and introduce changes to its funding and financial management arrangements.
Sadiq said the proposed framework would retain due process and constitutional safeguards while providing clearer rules for regulators, manufacturers, healthcare professionals, investors and the courts.
He added that the reforms were intended to protect public health, encourage local manufacturing, support legitimate commerce and bring Nigeria’s regulatory system in line with evolving global standards.
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-related incidents.
The proposal would also transfer oversight of the bureau to the Presidency and strengthen its institutional, operational and administrative framework.
It was equally referred to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.
The three proposals remain subject to the legislative process, including consideration and approval by the National Assembly before any proposed changes can take effect.