President Bola Tinubu has asked the Senate to strengthen Nigeria’s drug enforcement laws and expand the investigative powers of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) through two proposed bills.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Bill 2026 and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau Amendment Bill 2026 were transmitted to the upper chamber in separate letters addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday.
The proposed NDLEA legislation seeks to repeal the existing NDLEA Act and the Indian Hemp Act, replacing them with a consolidated legal framework for tackling drug-related offences.
In his letter, Tinubu said the bill would provide a framework for enforcing laws against the “cultivation, processing, sale, trafficking and use of hard drugs”.
It also seeks to strengthen the agency’s powers to investigate people suspected of involvement in drug-related activities.
The President urged lawmakers to give the bill expeditious consideration. Akpabio subsequently referred it to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.
The second proposal seeks to amend the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (Establishment) Act No. 35 of 2022 to strengthen the bureau’s independence and broaden its responsibilities beyond aviation accidents.
If passed, the amendment would empower the NSIB to investigate accidents and incidents involving rail, maritime and other modes of transportation.
It also proposes transferring supervisory oversight of the bureau to the Presidency while strengthening its institutional, operational and administrative powers.
The proposed expansion comes amid renewed attention to transport safety following the October 5 crash of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft near Igbokoda in Ondo State, which reportedly killed 32 people.
The Senate has called for a comprehensive investigation into the crash, alongside an audit of military aircraft serviceability and maintenance funding.
Tinubu urged the Senate to expedite consideration of the NSIB amendment, which was also referred to the Committee on Rules and Business.
Both bills were transmitted pursuant to Section 58(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
In addition to the two bills, the Senate received other executive communications from the President, including a proposal to repeal the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria Act to establish a National School of Government, a request to reimburse N100.5bn to Yobe State over the takeover of the Damaturu cargo airport, and a request relating to the domestication of additional international instruments.
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