The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), has called for a coordinated nationwide response to illicit drug cultivation, urging broad support for Nigeria’s newly introduced alternative development programme.
Marwa made the appeal at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, stressing the need for sustained collaboration among government institutions, host communities, development partners and the private sector to ensure the success and expansion of the initiative.
The alternative development programme, the first of its kind in Africa, was recently launched as a pilot scheme in three cannabis-producing communities—Ilu Abo, Ifon and Eleyewo—in Ondo State. The initiative, according to Marwa, is designed to tackle the root causes of illicit drug production by providing lawful and sustainable economic opportunities for affected communities.
Explaining the strategy, the NDLEA chairman said the programme goes beyond substituting cannabis with other crops, noting that it promotes rural economic growth, strengthens agricultural value chains, improves food security and reduces pressure on law enforcement and the criminal justice system. He added that the approach also contributes to peace and social stability in areas previously associated with drug-related crime.
Describing the pilot phase as encouraging, Marwa said the level of acceptance by host communities and traditional leaders demonstrated the effectiveness of community-driven solutions. He noted that residents have embraced the programme as a dignified pathway to improved livelihoods, poverty reduction and enhanced local security.
Marwa stressed that Nigeria’s drug challenge, particularly the cultivation and use of cannabis, requires a shift from enforcement-only measures to development-focused interventions in line with United Nations recommendations. He cited findings from the 2018 National Drug Use Survey, which showed that more than 14 million Nigerians had used psychoactive substances within a one-year period, with cannabis recording the highest level of use.
He further disclosed that cannabis remains the most prevalent illicit drug in the country, with millions of users and thousands of hectares of land under cultivation, especially in forested areas of the South-West. According to him, many of these cultivation sites are linked to organised criminal networks supplying both domestic and cross-border markets.
The NDLEA boss warned that widespread cannabis production and consumption pose serious public health, social and security risks, particularly for young people. He revealed that more than three-quarters of all illicit drugs seized by the agency over the past five years were cannabis, underscoring the scale of the challenge.
Despite the magnitude of the problem, Marwa expressed optimism that the alternative development programme could significantly reduce illicit cultivation if supported by strong political will and sustained stakeholder engagement. He said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, especially in the areas of security, agriculture and community development.
Marwa commended local and international partners for their support of the pilot project, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, agricultural research institutions and development organisations from several countries. He also acknowledged the backing of the Ondo State Government and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
He called on communities affected by illicit drug cultivation to work closely with the NDLEA in building legal, productive and secure livelihoods, describing the programme as a people-centred intervention aimed at safeguarding Nigeria’s future.
