Continuous monitoring and evaluation of progress of implementation of drug-related activities in West African States is one of the core components of the ECOWAS Drug Action Plan on illicit drug trafficking, related organized crimes and drug abuse(2016-2020).

The overall objective of the mission was to assess the status of implementation of the ECOWAS Drug Action Plan in its five thematic areas and to identify areas of challenges of drug control in Nigeria. In addition, to deliberate on modalities of providing support for anti-drug public awareness campaigns/ promotional materials to Inter-ministerial Drug Control Committees (IMDCCs) or equivalents in Nigeria.

The Monitoring Missions Team (MMT) to Nigeria led by the ECOWAS Drug Unit comprised of a representative from Member State (Liberia), UNODC, National Drug Control Master Plan (NDCMP) Coordinator and representatives from the Civil Society Organization (CSOs) in Nigeria.

To effectively assess the five pillars of the Drug Action Plan, the team held meetings with Directors of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies (NDLEA), the Nigeria Inter-Ministerial Committee on Drug Control, NDLEA Forensic Laboratory, the NDLEA K-9 Department located at the NAHCO Shade office which is within the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (M.M.I.A), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), representatives of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) amongst others.

Since 2011, NDLEA discovered up to eleven clandestine laboratories for the production of methamphetamine, with regional dimension as one of the suspects intercepted in a case submitted to the organization, had a note prepared for allies in Ghana explicitly on the production of methamphetamine.

Despite the growing production of cannabis in Nigeria, the NDLEA made seizures of more potent cannabis coming into Nigeria from Ghana. Based on the perspective of the Nigerian IMDCC, there is need for capacity building of law enforcement officers on drug control and Joint Border Operations.

In order to accurately analyse physical evidence and provide reliable scientific data for controlled substances,  NDLEA forensic laboratory acquired standard analytical equipment called GCMS and currently have three additional analysts employed, deployed and trained. In addition, the agency developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the forensic laboratory on criminal investigations.