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Nigeria’s maritime gateways have witnessed one of the largest crackdowns on illicit narcotics in recent history, with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) confiscating 2,553,132.90 kilograms of illegal substances between 2021 and 2025. The agency estimates the total street value of the seizures at more than N3 trillion.
Official data show fluctuating yearly figures. In 2021, authorities intercepted 96,690.90kg of narcotics. The volume declined sharply to 20,296.70kg in 2022 before rebounding to 86,169.54kg in 2023. Enforcement efforts intensified significantly in 2024, when seizures soared to 1,745,422.75kg — the highest within the five-year period — before moderating to 605,553.01kg in 2025.
A breakdown across ports reveals varied patterns. Apapa Port recorded steady activity throughout the period, while Tin Can Island Port experienced a dramatic spike in 2024 after relatively modest volumes in the preceding years. Port Harcourt posted the most striking surge, moving from comparatively low figures in 2022 and 2023 to over 1.2 million kilograms in 2024. Marine patrol units also expanded coastal surveillance, contributing notable interceptions in 2024 and 2025.
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NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, attributed the results to intelligence-driven operations, enhanced cargo profiling and stronger inter-agency collaboration at port facilities. He noted that traffickers increasingly attempt bulk shipments concealed in containerised cargo, but tighter monitoring systems have raised operational risks for criminal networks.
Using agency benchmarks, high-value drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine command hundreds of millions of naira per kilogram, while lower-priced substances like cannabis and opioids accumulate enormous value due to volume. The NDLEA maintains that sustained maritime enforcement remains central to dismantling international trafficking routes and safeguarding Nigeria’s ports.
