Buba Marwa

Mohamed Buba Marwa

Mohamed Buba Marwa is a retired Nigerian Army brigadier general and public administrator serving as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria's National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. Appointed in January 2021 and reappointed for a further five-year term in November 2025, he previously held senior military, diplomatic and drug-policy roles.

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About Buba Marwa

Profile information current to 2026-08-22.

Nigeria · Retired Nigerian Army brigadier general, Public administrator, Diplomat

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Also known as: Mohammed Buba Marwa
Known for: Drug-control policy and administration; Nigerian public administration; Military and diplomatic service
Country: Nigeria

Retired Nigerian Army brigadier general
Public administrator
Diplomat

At a glance

Marwa has led the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since January 2021.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu renewed his NDLEA appointment for a further five-year term on November 14, 2025.
His earlier public service included periods as military governor of Borno State and military administrator of Lagos State.
Before joining the NDLEA, he chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse from 2018 to 2020.

Leadership of the NDLEA

Marwa was appointed the 10th Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on January 15, 2021. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu renewed the appointment on November 14, 2025, for a further five-year term, and the NDLEA continued to identify Marwa as its chairman in July 2026.

Drug-control policy work

Before taking charge of the NDLEA, Marwa chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse from 2018 to December 2020. In January 2026, he presented the NDLEA's Alternative Development Pilot Project as an initiative linking drug-control objectives with sustainable-livelihood support for illicit cannabis growers; the agency's description does not constitute an independent evaluation of the project's implementation or results.

Military and public administration career

Marwa was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1973 and later held military appointments including Brigade Major of the 23 Armoured Brigade, Academic Registrar of the Nigerian Defence Academy and defence-advisory postings in Washington and New York. He served as military governor of Borno State from 1990 to 1992 and as military administrator of Lagos State from 1996 to 1999.

Education and diplomatic service

Marwa completed a Master of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh in 1985 and a Master of Public Administration at Harvard University in 1986. The NDLEA's official biography also records service as Nigeria's ambassador to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland and identifies him as a holder of the national honours CON and OFR.

Timeline

1973 Commissioned as a second lieutenant after education at the Nigerian Military School and Nigerian Defence Academy.
1990 Began service as military governor of Borno State.
1996 Began service as military administrator of Lagos State.
2018 Began chairing the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse.
2021-01-15 Appointed the 10th Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
2025-11-14 President Bola Ahmed Tinubu renewed his appointment as NDLEA chairman for a further five-year term.

Additional verified details

Current context

Marwa remained identified by the NDLEA as its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in an official publication dated July 25, 2026. The State House announced in November 2025 that the renewed five-year appointment would keep him in office until 2031, subject to any subsequent official change.
In January 2026, Marwa presented the NDLEA's Alternative Development Pilot Project as an approach combining drug-control objectives with sustainable-livelihood support for illicit cannabis growers. This records an agency policy initiative described by the NDLEA, not an independent evaluation of its implementation or outcomes.

Biographical facts

His military appointments included Brigade Major of the 23 Armoured Brigade, Academic Registrar of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Deputy Defence Adviser at Nigeria's embassy in Washington, DC, and Defence Adviser to Nigeria's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.
He served as military governor of Borno State from 1990 to 1992 and military administrator of Lagos State from 1996 to 1999.
He holds a Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University.
The NDLEA biography states that he served as Nigeria's ambassador to South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland.
The NDLEA identifies him as a holder of the Nigerian national honours CON and OFR.

Connections

Affiliations

Affiliations associated with Buba Marwa.

National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Chairman/Chief Executive Officer 2021-01-15–present
Borno State Government Military Governor 1990–1992
Lagos State Government Military Administrator 1996–1999
Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse Chairman 2018–2020