Tinubu seeks overhaul of NDLEA, expands NSIB mandate, replaces ASCON

President Bola Tinubu has sent three executive bills to the House of Representatives seeking to overhaul the legal framework governing drug enforcement, expand transport safety investigations and replace the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) with a National School of Government.

The bills, dated October 12, 2026, were conveyed in separate letters read by the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, during plenary on Thursday.

In the letters, Tinubu urged lawmakers to give the proposals “expeditious consideration”, citing Section 58(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

One of the proposals, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Bill, 2026, seeks to repeal the existing NDLEA Act and the Indian Hemp Act, consolidating their provisions into a single legal framework for drug law enforcement.

According to the President, the proposed legislation would strengthen the agency’s powers to enforce laws against the cultivation, processing, sale, trafficking and use of hard drugs, while empowering it to investigate persons suspected of involvement in drug-related activities.

The second proposal seeks to amend the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) Establishment Act, 2022, to extend the agency’s mandate beyond aviation accidents and incidents.

Under the proposed amendment, the bureau would become an independent, multimodal safety investigation authority responsible for investigating occurrences involving rail, maritime and other transport systems.

Tinubu said the bill would also transfer supervisory oversight of the bureau to the Presidency and strengthen its institutional, operational and administrative powers.

The third bill seeks to repeal the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria Act and establish the National School of Government, Nigeria.

The proposed institution would focus on leadership development, policy delivery and executive capacity building across government.

ASCON currently provides management training, research and consultancy services aimed at developing administrative and managerial skills.

If passed, the new legislation would establish the legal framework for the National School of Government and define its functions and institutional structure.

The three bills will undergo legislative scrutiny, including consideration by relevant House committees, before they can be passed into law.

The proposed changes will not take effect until the bills complete the required legislative and constitutional processes.