Abuja, 17 August 2026 – For many Nigerians, organised crime is not an abstract security threat. It affects livelihoods, fuels insecurity, facilitates cybercrime, enables human trafficking, expands illicit drug markets, and weakens trust in institutions. Against this backdrop, key government officials, international partners, law enforcement agencies, and civil society representatives gathered in Abuja for the official launch of Nigeria’s National Strategy for Combating Organised Crime in Nigeria, a major step toward protecting communities and strengthening national security, breaking siloed approaches and enhancing national coordination in combating organised crime in Nigeria.

Developed through extensive multi-agency consultations and close technical collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime UNODC, the strategy provides a comprehensive framework for preventing, detecting, investigating, prosecuting, and dismantling organized criminal groups operating within and across Nigeria’s borders. The framework also places significant emphasis on protecting victims and witnesses, recognising that effective justice responses must be centred on people and communities.

The launch comes at a time when organised crime continues to evolve in scale and sophistication. From cybercrimes to drug trafficking, trafficking in persons, environmental crimes, and the smuggling of migrants, criminal groups increasingly exploit technology, regional mobility, and economic vulnerabilities.

Recent UNODC findings highlight the urgency of coordinated action. According to the UNODC World Drug Report 2025, an estimated 316 million people worldwide used drugs in 2023, while organized criminal groups continue to adapt rapidly to global crises and expand illicit markets into new regions, including Africa. UNODC notes that organized criminal groups increasingly leverage cross-border connections, digital technologies, and illicit financial flows to sustain their operations.

Similarly, the UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2024 found that trafficking victims are rising globally after the pandemic, with children accounting for nearly 40 per cent of identified victims. The report further notes that organized crime groups remain behind much of the trafficking activity detected worldwide, underscoring the need for stronger prevention, protection, and justice responses.

Throughout the event, speakers emphasised that the strategy is not merely a policy document but a practical roadmap for collective action. Key sessions focused on:

Building a coordinated national response against organized crime and upholding the rule of law and international best practices in criminal investigations;

Strengthening regional and inter-agency collaboration;

Enhancing operational readiness and specialised capacity.

Group photo of delegates at the official launch of Nigeria’s National Strategy for Combating Organised Crime in Abuja.

Group photo of delegates at the official launch of Nigeria’s National Strategy for Combating Organised Crime in Abuja.

Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the National Security Adviser, National Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Centre NCTC, Major General Adamu G. Laka, stressed the importance of collaboration across institutions. He posited that building a coordinated front against organized crime through inter-agency coordination is a must and requires conscientious effort by all stakeholders to ensure national security and stability.

Speakers highlighted that no single institution can effectively tackle organized crime alone. Success will depend on information sharing, intelligence-led operations, coordinated investigations, and partnerships with local communities, civil society, and international actors.

Cheikh Toure, Country Representative, UNODC and Tolliver Derrick, Director, United States Department of States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs ( US INL) welcomed Nigeria’s commitment to adopting a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, reflecting global best practices outlined in the UNODC Organized Crime Strategy Toolkit, which promotes coordinated, victim-centred, and rights-based responses to organized crime.

The event concluded with presentations by the project coordinator, NCTC and national consultants, who provided an overview of the strategy’s core objectives, implementation roadmap, organized crime in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea and the monitoring and evaluation framework of the National Strategy. Participants agreed that the launch marks the beginning of a new phase, one focused on translating commitments into measurable action.

For communities affected by cybercrime, trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants, illicit drug markets, environmental crimes and other forms of organized crime, the strategy represents more than a security initiative. It is a commitment to safer communities, stronger institutions, and greater opportunities for citizens across Nigeria.

Thanks to the United States Department of States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs for the funding.