UNODC Expands Intervention to States, Partners Ondo Assembly
By Awodeyi Elizabeth
The Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji, has reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to strengthening governance, accountability, and legislative responses to emerging global challenges through a new partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Oladiji gave the assurance on Wednesday while receiving the UNODC Country Representative, Mr. Cheikh Toure, and his delegation on a courtesy visit to the Assembly Complex in Akure.
The Speaker described the visit as a historic milestone, noting that the Ondo State House of Assembly is the first sub-national parliament in Nigeria to engage directly with the UNODC in such a collaborative manner.
“This courtesy visit provides us with a unique opportunity to explore strategic areas of collaboration with UNODC that will support our legislative processes, strengthen our frameworks, enhance cybercrime legislation, promote anti-corruption measures, and build capacity for effective governance,” Oladiji stated.
He expressed the Assembly’s readiness to benefit from technical assistance and capacity building on international best practices in tackling cybercrime, drug abuse, human trafficking, and other organized crimes. He also pledged the lawmakers’ commitment to aligning with Nigeria’s obligations under international conventions while creating opportunities for sustainable development partnerships.
Also speaking, the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Ololade Gbegudu, encouraged the UNODC not to limit its intervention to cybercrime alone but to extend it to general security, noting that most crimes in society are committed offline.
The Majority Leader, Hon. Chief Olatunji Oshati, while calling for synergy between security agencies and the UNODC, urged the team to intensify grassroots sensitization on the dangers of drug abuse.
Other principal officers of the House spoke on the need to rehabilitate offenders while acknowledging the efforts of the global organization in driving positive change.
In his remarks, the UNODC Country Representative, Cheikh Toure, appreciated the Speaker and commended the Assembly for its role in promoting good governance and developing key legislative frameworks.
Toure explained that the UNODC, which has operated in Nigeria for about 30 years, was expanding its interventions to the state level to ensure that “no one is left behind” in the fight against crime and drugs.
“Institutions like the UN need to go beyond Abuja to see what people at the sub-national level are doing and how we can be relevant to them. The challenges of drug abuse, organized crime, and cybercrime exist in local communities, and that is where preventive awareness must begin,” he said.
Other members of the UNODC delegation, including Mrs. Baranaye Marcus and Aisha Braimah, highlighted the organization’s mandate in combating drug trafficking, cybercrime, terrorism, human trafficking, and corruption. They stressed the importance of building resilient institutions and empowering Nigerian youths to prevent crime and foster social development.
The visit, both sides agreed, would serve as a springboard for stronger collaboration to combat crime, safeguard human rights, and promote justice and peace in Ondo State.
In his vote of thanks, the Clerk of the House, Barrister Jaiyeola Benjamin, commended the leadership of the Assembly for its commitment to the state’s progress and thanked the visitors, urging them to build on the collaboration to achieve the set goals.
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