NDLEA Launches Alternative Development Programme to Curb Cannabis Cultivation in Ondo

Initiative flagged off in Ondo State targets cannabis-growing communities, provides lawful livelihoods, aligns with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, backed by national and international partners

By Abdullahi Yusuf

In a pioneering effort to curb illicit drug cultivation while boosting national security, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has launched an alternative development programme aimed at empowering rural communities and providing lawful livelihoods for farmers. The initiative, the first of its kind in Africa, was officially flagged off last week in three cannabis-growing communities in Ondo State: Ilú Abo, Ifon, and Eleyewo.

At a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, NDLEA Chairman and CEO Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) described the programme as a “people-centred intervention designed to simultaneously promote community development, enhance national security, and secure Nigeria’s future.”

Speaking on the philosophy behind the initiative, Brig. Gen. Marwa emphasized that the programme extends beyond crop substitution. “Its wider benefits include strengthening rural economies through value-chain development, reducing the burden on law enforcement and the justice system, promoting peace and social cohesion in previously crime-prone areas, supporting national food production and agricultural diversification, and improving Nigeria’s international standing in global drug control and development cooperation,” he said.

The NDLEA chief highlighted the initiative as a “win-win solution for communities, for government, and for national security,” expressing optimism over the pilot scheme’s reception in Ondo State. “The local communities and their traditional and community leaders have openly stated that this programme has renewed their hope in Nigeria and restored confidence in government,” he said.

Brig. Gen. Marwa called on all stakeholders including federal, state, and local governments, traditional rulers, development partners, donor agencies, civil society organisations, the private sector, and agricultural value-chain actors, to actively support and scale up the initiative nationwide. He also urged affected communities to embrace the programme and collaborate with the NDLEA to build lawful, productive, and secure livelihoods.

Outlining the scope of Nigeria’s cannabis challenge, Marwa cited the 2018 National Drug Use Surveyconducted by the National Bureau of Statistics with UNODC support, which found that an estimated 14.4 percent of Nigerians aged 15–64, roughly 14.3 million people, had used at least one psychoactive substance in the past year, more than twice the global prevalence. Cannabis, he said, dominates both consumption and illicit cultivation, with approximately 10.6 million adults reporting use in the past year. Field assessments indicate that nearly 8,900 hectares of land are under cannabis cultivation in the South West alone, often managed by organized networks supplying domestic and international markets.

Brig. Gen. Marwa also outlined the social and public health consequences of widespread cannabis use, including long-term health risks, dependency, lost productivity, crime, and strain on the healthcare system. He noted that over 75 percent of the 15 million kilograms of assorted illicit drugs seized by NDLEA in the past five years was cannabis.

Despite the challenges, he expressed confidence that the alternative development initiative would reverse the trend if given sustained national support, highlighting its alignment with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He acknowledged the backing of national and international stakeholders, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development (GPDPD, Berlin), Mae Fah Luang Foundation, Thailand, and partner countries spanning Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

The programme also received strong support from Ondo State Governor Dr. Lucky Ayedatiwa, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, represented at the event by Regional Director Southwest, Mrs. Alao Temitayo, and other development partners committed to sustainable livelihoods and community resilience.

Brig. Gen. Marwa concluded by reiterating that the NDLEA is fully committed to expanding the alternative development programme nationwide. “This is not just a drug control initiative, but a people-centred development intervention designed to uplift communities, strengthen national security, and secure Nigeria’s future,” he said.

The initiative represents a significant shift in Nigeria’s approach to drug control, prioritizing community empowerment, sustainable agriculture, and collaborative action to address the root causes of illicit cannabis cultivation while safeguarding the nation’s social and economic wellbeing.

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