The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration against drug trafficking, copyright piracy and other organised crimes threatening Nigeria’s creative industry.
The agreement, signed at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja on Friday, is aimed at disrupting criminal networks that use intellectual property theft and drug trafficking to finance illegal activities while protecting the interests of musicians, filmmakers, writers, software developers and other creative professionals.
According to a statement by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the partnership will enable both agencies to share intelligence, conduct joint operations, build institutional capacity and deploy technical resources to dismantle organised criminal syndicates.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (Rtd), said the partnership reflects the growing link between drug trafficking and copyright piracy, noting that criminal groups often engage in multiple illegal activities to sustain their operations.
“Our experience at the frontlines of drug law enforcement has shown that criminal networks rarely confine themselves to a single illicit enterprise. The same syndicates involved in narcotics trafficking are often linked to the piracy of intellectual works belonging to Nigeria’s musicians, filmmakers, writers and software developers,” Marwa said.
He explained that proceeds from one criminal activity are often used to finance another, making coordinated enforcement essential to disrupting the criminal value chain.
Marwa said the MoU provides a structured framework for intelligence sharing, joint enforcement operations, personnel training and technical cooperation between the two agencies. He added that a Joint Working Committee would be established to ensure the agreement delivers measurable results.
He stressed that the collaboration goes beyond law enforcement, describing it as a move to protect public health, safeguard Nigeria’s creative talents and strengthen the country’s economy.
Also speaking, NCC Director-General, Dr. John O. Asein, described the agreement as a major milestone in inter-agency cooperation, saying copyright piracy is far more than a commercial offence because it deprives creators of legitimate income, destroys jobs, discourages investment and weakens Nigeria’s creative economy.
Asein noted that international experience has shown strong links between organised copyright piracy, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, smuggling and cyber-enabled crimes, making closer collaboration between the NCC and NDLEA both necessary and timely.
He said the partnership would enable both agencies to combine their expertise, intelligence capabilities and enforcement strategies to identify criminal networks, trace illicit financial flows, disrupt illegal supply chains and dismantle organised criminal enterprises.
The NCC Director-General also praised the NDLEA under Marwa’s leadership for its professionalism, intelligence-led operations, forensic capabilities and strong record in combating organised crime through effective national and international collaboration.
