Evaluating the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s Performance in the South South Zone

The NDLEA's accelerated enforcement expansion under its current leadership has generated significant seizure and prosecution statistics nationally, and professional evaluation of its operational performance in the South South zone provides zone-specific evidence for resource allocation and operational priority decisions. This study evaluated NDLEA's enforcement, prevention, and treatment referral performance in Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom States for the period 2020 to 2023. A programme evaluation methodology was employed, combining NDLEA zone command performance data review, structured interviews with 16 NDLEA officers across the four states, and assessment of partner NGO service utilisation data. Prosecution statistics, seizure volumes, treatment referral rates, prevention programme reach, and budget utilisation were the primary evaluation dimensions. Results showed that South South zone seizure volumes increased by 227 percent between 2020 and 2023, driven primarily by creek and port surveillance enhancements. Prosecution conviction rates averaged 63.4 percent, above the national NDLEA average. Prevention programme reach in schools covered only 18.7 percent of the estimated target school population. Treatment referral to approved rehabilitation centres was documented in only 11.2 percent of drug user arrestees. Inter-agency cooperation with Customs and Navy was rated as strong for maritime enforcement but weak for inland community intelligence. The study recommends treatment referral mandate strengthening, school prevention programme expansion, and enhanced community intelligence protocols in non-maritime South South environments.

Keywords: NDLEA, drug enforcement, South South Nigeria, drug policy evaluation, counter-narcotics