President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, transmitted two proposed bills to the Senate seeking to reform Nigeria’s drug enforcement laws and expand the investigative mandate of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Bill 2026 and the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau Amendment Bill 2026 were forwarded to the upper chamber in separate letters addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Also read: Bayern Munich suffer late blow as Viking snatch 3-3 champions league draw

The proposed legislation seeks to consolidate existing laws on drug-related offences and strengthen the NSIB’s independence and capacity to investigate accidents involving different modes of transportation.

Both bills were transmitted under Section 58(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which governs the presentation of bills for presidential assent after passage by the National Assembly.

In his letter on the NDLEA Bill, Tinubu proposed repealing the existing National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act and the Indian Hemp Act to establish a consolidated legal framework for tackling illicit drugs.

According to the President, the legislation would strengthen enforcement against the cultivation, processing, sale, trafficking and use of prohibited drugs while empowering the agency to investigate people suspected of involvement in drug-related activities.

The letter stated: “The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Bill 2026 seeks to repeal the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap. N30, and the Indian Hemp Act, Cap. I16, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, and to enact a consolidated framework to enforce the law against the cultivation, processing, sale, trafficking and use of hard drugs.”

Tinubu urged senators to give the proposed legislation expeditious consideration.

Following its presentation, Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business for further legislative action.

The second proposal, the NSIB Amendment Bill 2026, seeks to amend the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (Establishment) Act No. 35 of 2022.

Under the proposed changes, the bureau’s investigative responsibilities would extend beyond aviation accidents to include incidents involving rail, maritime and other transport systems.

The bill also seeks to strengthen its institutional, operational and administrative powers and transfer supervisory oversight to the Presidency.

If passed, the amendment would broaden the bureau’s role in investigating transport-related accidents and incidents, potentially allowing it to examine safety failures across several modes of transportation under a more unified framework.

The proposal comes amid renewed attention to transport safety following the reported 5 October crash of a Nigerian Air Force ATR-42 aircraft near Igbokoda in Ondo State, in which 25 people were reportedly killed.

The Senate has called for a comprehensive investigation into the crash and an audit of military aircraft serviceability and maintenance funding.

In his letter transmitting the NSIB bill, Tinubu asked the Senate to consider the proposed amendments and expedite legislative action.

Akpabio subsequently referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Rules and Business.

The two proposals will now undergo further legislative consideration.

Neither bill becomes law merely through its transmission to the Senate; it must complete the required legislative process before taking effect.

Also read: Bayern Munich suffer late blow as Viking snatch 3-3 champions league draw

The proposed NDLEA legislation is intended to consolidate the legal framework for drug enforcement, while the NSIB amendment seeks to broaden independent safety investigations across Nigeria’s transport sector.