VP Shettima, Marwa Speak On Value Creation, Consequences Of Shipments Contaminated With Illicit Drugs

VP Shettima and Marwa

 

 

OpenLife News reports that Vice President Kashim Shettima has said sustainable national prosperity must be built on productive enterprise, investment, innovation and the capacity of Nigerians to create value in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Shettima stated this in his keynote address at the Aspire Women Forum masterclass themed “From Survival to Thriving: Empowering Women and Youth for Export Readiness, Global Market Access and Prosperity under the Renewed Hope Agenda“, held at the Conference Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.

The Vice President, who was represented by the Special Assistant to the President on Humanitarian Affairs and Development Partners, Inna Binta Audu, said transition from survival to thriving is not simply a personal aspiration but an economic imperative and a national development priority.

“What makes this initiative particularly valuable is its emphasis on practical knowledge.

“The true measure of this masterclass will not be the number of people in this hall, but the number of businesses that become stronger, the number of entrepreneurs who reach new markets and the number of livelihoods transformed by what is learnt here,” Shettima said.

“Under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Renewed Hope Agenda is anchored on the conviction that sustainable national prosperity must be built on productive enterprise, investment, innovation and the capacity of Nigerians to create value.

“Our ambition to build a one-trillion-dollar economy cannot be realised by government alone.”

He added that women and young people must occupy a central place in that ecosystem, noting that their economic participation expands productive capacity, strengthens household incomes and creates employment.

He commended Aspire Women Forum and its Founder, Dr. Zainab Marwa, for organizing the masterclass.

In his address, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), charged women and youth seeking global market access to guard their health, judgement and integrity of their trade against illicit drugs.

Marwa warned aspiring exporters, women and youth groups that shipments contaminated with illicit drugs can send them to jail and tarnish Nigeria’s image.

“Do not let pressure, disappointment, curiosity or the desire to belong draw you into drugs.

“Drugs solve no business problem and end no hardship; they only multiply them,” Marwa said.

He urged participants to beware of drug traffickers who may promise payments to use their businesses for trafficking, stressing that no payment is worth the risk.

“Know exactly what you are shipping. Verify your partners and your transactions.

“Never carry a package you did not pack, and never let your goods be used for trafficking. A single contaminated consignment can cost an exporter their freedom and their family’s good name,” he warned.

Marwa assured those struggling with drug dependence that seeking help is courageous, and highlighted the NDLEA toll-free helpline 0800 1020 3040, open 24 hours, with professionals answering in English, Pidgin, Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba.

He said export readiness rests on integrity, reliable products, proper standards, accurate documentation and dependable service, and pledged NDLEA’s partnership through its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy.

In her welcome address, Founder and President of Aspire Women Forum, Dr. Zainab Marwa, said many Nigerians work hard but finish the month with little left due to poor record keeping, lack of business registration, unsuitable finance, weak packaging or limited access to buyers.

She commended the Federal Government for supporting enterprise through the Bank of Industry and skills initiatives, noting that the Forum extended participation to young men alongside women because uncertain income affects entire households.

She thanked Vice President Shettima, WTO Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Dr. Queen Onyinye Okpa of WATEX for their support, adding that engagement will continue beyond the masterclass through mentoring and referrals.