Precious Nwonu, Enugu
President Bola Tinubu has forwarded three executive bills to the House of Representatives, seeking to reform the legal framework governing the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), expand the mandate of the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and establish a National School of Government to replace the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON).
The bills, dated October 12, 2026, were conveyed in separate letters read by the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, during Thursday’s plenary.
In the letters, received by the Speaker’s office on October 13, Tinubu invoked Section 58(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and urged lawmakers to give the proposals “expeditious consideration.”
The NDLEA Bill, 2026, seeks to repeal the existing NDLEA Act and the Indian Hemp Act, replacing them with a consolidated legal framework for combating drug-related offences.
According to the President, the proposed law would strengthen enforcement against the cultivation, processing, sale, trafficking and use of hard drugs. It would also empower the agency to investigate individuals suspected of involvement in drug-related activities.
The second proposal, the NSIB Bill, 2026, seeks to amend the bureau’s Establishment Act of 2022 to expand its responsibilities beyond aviation accidents and incidents.
Under the proposed amendment, the NSIB would become an independent, multimodal safety investigation authority covering rail, maritime and other transport-related occurrences.
Tinubu said the bill would also transfer supervisory oversight of the bureau to the Presidency and strengthen its institutional, operational and administrative capacity.
The third bill seeks to repeal the ASCON Act of 2004 and establish the National School of Government, Nigeria, as a national institution focused on leadership development, policy delivery and executive capacity building.
The proposed institution is expected to strengthen the skills of public officials and improve the implementation of government policies.
ASCON currently provides management training, research and consultancy services to public- and private-sector organisations.
The proposed legislation would establish a new statutory framework for leadership and executive training across government.
The three bills will now proceed through the legislative process at the National Assembly, where lawmakers will examine their provisions before deciding whether to approve them.
The proposals will not take effect until they complete the required legislative and constitutional processes.
