The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), has called for stronger collaboration with traditional institutions to protect the girl-child, describing the move as critical to addressing the root causes of drug abuse, exploitation and other social vices.
Marwa made the appeal on Saturday, 11 July, 2026 in Kaduna during the public presentation of In The Shadow of the Neem Tree, a book written by his daughter, Barrister Mariam Marwa-Abdu, where he stressed that safeguarding girls from poverty, abuse, early marriage and lack of education would help strengthen families and secure the nation’s future.
Speaking from his experience as head of the anti-drug agency, Marwa said many of the drug abuse cases handled by the NDLEA are linked to deep-seated social and economic vulnerabilities affecting women and young people.
“As the Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, I see firsthand every day how systemic vulnerabilities like poverty, abuse and lack of education drive women and youth toward drug abuse and exploitation,” he said.
He argued that tackling the problem requires more than government intervention, urging traditional rulers and community leaders to take an active role in changing harmful cultural practices.
“We cannot leave this battle to the government or non-governmental organisations alone. We need the partnership of our revered traditional institutions… We must protect our daughters, educate them and give them the wings to fly,” Marwa said.
The former military administrator of Lagos and Borno states also praised the author for using literature to advocate for social change, describing her work as a courageous intervention against practices that deny girls opportunities to realise their full potential.
He noted that the book focuses on the plight of girls forced into early marriage and the long-term consequences on their education, health and future.
According to him, while the neem tree is widely known for providing shade across northern communities, it also symbolises places where decisions that truncate the lives of young girls are sometimes made.
“Early marriage robs a girl of her childhood, her education, her health and her potential to contribute meaningfully to society,” he said.
Marwa also reflected on the significance of the occasion as a father, expressing pride that four of his eldest children have become published authors.
He said the family’s growing body of literary works demonstrates a shared commitment to using writing as a tool for advocacy and social transformation.
Author of the book and founder of the Women and Children’s Rights and Empowerment Foundation (WCREF), Mariam Marwa-Abdu, said In The Shadow of the Neem Tree goes beyond fiction, describing it as a reflection of her years of advocacy for the rights of women and children.
She explained that through the foundation, established in 2011, she has spent more than a decade translating the ideals contained in the book into practical interventions aimed at protecting vulnerable groups.
Representing the Emir of Zazzau, Ambassador Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, the District Head of Basawa and Barden Kerarriyan Zazzau, Architect Haruna Abubakar Bamalli, expressed optimism that the book would stimulate broader conversations and inspire collective efforts toward social development and the protection of girls’ rights.
