The Ambassador of Zimbabwe to Ghana, K.E. Chinoza, has paid a courtesy call on the Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, to formally announce Zimbabwe's proposed benchmarking mission aimed at learning from Ghana's drug control strategies.

The meeting, held on Wednesday, July 15, was attended by the Director-General and his two Deputy Directors-General.

The proposed visit forms part of Zimbabwe's preparations to operationalise its soon-to-be-established Drug and Substance Abuse Control and Enforcement Agency, which will coordinate the country's response to drug trafficking, substance abuse, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation once the enabling legislation comes into force.

Speaking during the meeting, Ambassador Chinoza said Zimbabwe's Transition Task Team had identified Ghana as one of a select number of African countries with proven drug control systems worthy of study.

"In preparation for the establishment of the Agency, a Transition Task Team intends to undertake a benchmarking exercise with selected countries, including Ghana, that have established anti-drug institutions and proven drug control frameworks," he said.

He explained that the mission would study Ghana's institutional framework and operational strategies, which have earned the Narcotics Control Commission recognition as one of Africa's leading drug control agencies.

According to the ambassador, the delegation will examine Ghana's experience in institutional design, governance, intelligence-led enforcement, rehabilitation programmes, border management, inter-agency coordination and international cooperation.

He added that the exercise would also lay the foundation for long-term collaboration between Ghana and Zimbabwe through technical cooperation, intelligence sharing, capacity building and stronger law enforcement partnerships against transnational organised crime and illicit drug trafficking.

Ambassador Chinoza further revealed that Ghana's approach to narcotics control had recently received continental recognition during the 13th Africa Security Symposium (ASEC 2026).

"Director-General, allow me to highlight that from the recently held 13th Africa Security Symposium (ASEC 2026), Ghana's NACOC model was cited as the best practice for inter-agency coordination," he stated.

Responding to the delegation, Director-General of NACOC, Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, thanked the Government of Zimbabwe for choosing Ghana as one of the countries to benchmark its emerging anti-drug institution.

He reaffirmed the Commission's commitment to supporting African countries in strengthening their drug control systems through knowledge sharing and collaboration.

"We are ready to share our experiences and international best practices in the fight against illicit drugs. Drug trafficking is a transnational challenge and our collective success depends on collaboration among African countries," Major General Mantey said.

The Director-General acknowledged that inadequate logistics remain a major challenge for drug law enforcement agencies across Africa but said Ghana had made significant progress through sustained government support and institutional reforms.

"One of the major challenges in Africa is logistics, but the commitment of Government has contributed significantly to our success as NACOC. We approach the drug problem from both the demand reduction and supply reduction perspectives. While we enforce the law rigorously against drug traffickers, we are equally committed to educating especially our young people to stay away from drugs," he noted.

Major General Mantey stressed that an effective national drug control strategy must combine strong law enforcement with sustained public education, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation programmes.

The meeting underscored the growing cooperation between Ghana and Zimbabwe in addressing the evolving threat of illicit drug trafficking and substance abuse. It also highlighted the importance of regional collaboration in building stronger drug control institutions across Africa.

The proposed benchmarking mission is expected to strengthen bilateral relations while providing Zimbabwe with practical insights into Ghana's integrated approach to narcotics control.

It also reflects the growing recognition of NACOC's operational model as a benchmark for effective drug control governance and inter-agency coordination across the continent.