Between 2021 and 2025, Nigerian seaports witnessed the interception of over 2.55 million kilograms of illegal drugs, according to figures released by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. The agency estimates that the combined street value of the seized narcotics exceeds N3 trillion, reflecting the enormous scale of attempted drug trafficking through the country’s maritime channels.
The figures, compiled from operations carried out across major seaports and marine commands nationwide, illustrate both the magnitude of narcotics smuggling activities and the growing intensity of enforcement actions over the five-year period.
Available records show that total drug seizures reached 96,690.90 kilograms in 2021, before dropping significantly to 20,296.70 kilograms in 2022. The volume recovered increased again to 86,169.54 kilograms in 2023. However, the most dramatic surge occurred in 2024, when authorities confiscated 1,745,422.75 kilograms, the highest volume recorded within the five-year window. In 2025, seizures reduced but remained substantial at 605,553.01 kilograms.
A port-specific breakdown indicates notable differences in seizure volumes across various maritime hubs. At Apapa Port, anti-drug operatives intercepted 33,540 kilograms in 2021, 17,759.74 kilograms in 2022, and 85,491.59 kilograms in 2023. The quantity fell to 54,116.17 kilograms in 2024, before rising sharply again to 153,028.19 kilograms in 2025.
Operations at Tin Can Island Port also revealed fluctuating trends. Authorities confiscated 22,725.60 kilograms in 2021, but the amount dropped to 1,881.80 kilograms in 2022 and further declined to 654.40 kilograms in 2023. In 2024, however, seizures rose sharply to 454,586.54 kilograms, reflecting a major enforcement breakthrough. The total later decreased to 30,815.21 kilograms in 2025.
The Port Harcourt Seaport Command recorded some of the most striking changes in the dataset. Seizures stood at 40,425.30 kilograms in 2021, but dropped drastically to 143.83 kilograms in 2022 and 23.55 kilograms in 2023. This trend reversed dramatically in 2024, when officials intercepted 1,227,595.42 kilograms of illicit drugs. The command still recorded a significant 410,553.61 kilograms in 2025, maintaining one of the highest interception levels among Nigerian ports.
Maritime surveillance operations also expanded significantly during the period. The Marine Command confiscated 9,121.49 kilograms of illegal drugs in 2024, with the figure increasing to 11,156 kilograms in 2025. These interceptions reflect strengthened monitoring activities across Nigeria’s coastal waters and inland waterways.
Commenting on the figures, the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said the statistics demonstrate the agency’s sustained intelligence-driven operations across the nation’s seaports. He explained that the organisation has intensified strategies aimed at dismantling maritime drug trafficking networks through improved intelligence gathering, enhanced cargo profiling, container monitoring, and deeper collaboration with other security agencies operating within the ports.
Babafemi noted that criminal networks often attempt to move large consignments of drugs through seaports, taking advantage of containerised cargo and international shipping routes. However, he stressed that ongoing enforcement actions have significantly increased the risks and financial losses faced by trafficking syndicates attempting to use Nigeria’s maritime domain.
Further analysis shows that the 2.55 million kilograms of seized narcotics could translate into enormous street values. NDLEA benchmarks estimate that one kilogram of cocaine can sell for between N800 million and N1 billion, while methamphetamine may fetch between N400 million and N600 million per kilogram. Although substances such as cannabis, tramadol, codeine, and other controlled pharmaceutical opioids attract lower individual prices, their large quantities contribute heavily to the overall valuation.
Based on conservative estimates, the drugs intercepted at Nigerian seaports during the five-year period represent financial losses of well above N3 trillion for trafficking networks. According to Babafemi, the data not only reveals the scale of attempted narcotics inflow but also highlights the critical role maritime interdiction plays in Nigeria’s broader anti-drug campaign.
At Tin Can Island Port, seizures rose from 22,725.60 kilograms in 2021 but fell to 1,881.80 kilograms in 2022 and 654.40 kilograms in 2023. However, the command recorded a massive spike in 2024, when 454,586.54 kilograms of illicit substances were intercepted. The figure declined to
