By Gabriel Ameh
ABUJA, August 17, 2026 — Nigeria has launched a new National Strategy for Combating Organised Crime, designed to strengthen the country’s response to criminal networks, improve coordination among security agencies and enhance protection for communities and victims.
The strategy was unveiled in Abuja at a high-level event attended by government officials, security and law enforcement agencies, international partners, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
Developed through consultations involving relevant government institutions, with technical support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the strategy provides a coordinated framework for preventing, detecting, investigating and prosecuting organised crime.
It also seeks to strengthen efforts to dismantle criminal networks operating within Nigeria and across international borders, while improving the protection of victims and witnesses.
The strategy comes amid the growing sophistication of organised criminal activities, including cybercrime, drug trafficking, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, environmental crimes and other illicit activities.
Criminal networks are increasingly exploiting technology, cross-border movements and economic vulnerabilities to expand their operations, making stronger national and international cooperation essential.
The scale of the challenge was highlighted by recent UNODC findings. The World Drug Report 2025 estimated that approximately 316 million people used drugs globally in 2023, while criminal networks continued to expand illicit markets and exploit international connections and digital technologies.
The UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2024 also recorded an increase in identified trafficking victims following the COVID-19 pandemic, with children accounting for nearly 40 per cent of identified victims.
Speaking on behalf of the National Security Adviser, the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Major General Adamu G. Laka, called for stronger collaboration among Nigeria’s security and law enforcement institutions.
Laka stressed that no single agency could successfully tackle organised crime alone, highlighting the importance of intelligence sharing, joint investigations, coordinated operations and stronger partnerships with communities and international organisations.
He said a coordinated national response was necessary to protect Nigeria’s security and stability while confronting criminal networks whose activities increasingly cross institutional and national boundaries.
UNODC Country Representative Cheikh Touré and the Director of the United States Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), Tolliver Derrick, commended Nigeria for adopting what they described as a whole-of-government and whole of-society approach to combating organised crime.
They noted that the strategy reflects international best practices, including principles promoted by the UNODC Organised Crime Strategy Toolkit, particularly coordinated, victim-centred and rights-based approaches.
Discussions during the launch focused on improving national coordination, strengthening inter-agency and regional cooperation, developing specialised operational capabilities and ensuring that criminal investigations comply with the rule of law and international standards.
Representatives of the NCTC and national consultants also presented the strategy’s key objectives, implementation roadmap, assessment of organised crime trends in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea, as well as its monitoring and evaluation framework.
Stakeholders said the launch marked the beginning of a new phase in Nigeria’s fight against organised crime, with attention now shifting from policy development to implementation and measurable results.
The strategy is expected to strengthen institutional capacity, improve protection for communities and victims, and enhance efforts to disrupt the financial and operational structures supporting criminal networks.
For Nigerians affected by drug trafficking, cybercrime, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, environmental crimes and other forms of organised crime, the government and its partners say the strategy is intended to contribute to safer communities, stronger institutions and improved national security.
The initiative received funding support from the United States Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
