The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), has called for a strong national response and sustained multi-stakeholder support for Nigeria’s newly launched Alternative Development Programme aimed at curbing illicit cannabis cultivation, uplifting rural communities and strengthening national security.
Marwa made the call at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, 3 February 2026, following the successful launch of the pilot phase of the initiative, the first of its kind in Africa, in three cannabis-growing communities of Ilu Abo, Ifon and Eleyewo in Ondo State.
He explained that the alternative development strategy goes far beyond crop substitution, describing it as a people-centred intervention with broad socio-economic and security benefits. According to him, the programme strengthens rural economies through value-chain development, reduces pressure on law enforcement and the justice system, promotes peace and social cohesion, supports food production and agricultural diversification, and enhances Nigeria’s global standing in drug control and development cooperation.
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“This approach represents a win-win solution for communities, government and national security. The successful take-off of the pilot scheme clearly demonstrates that alternative development works when communities are engaged, supported and empowered,” Marwa said.
He called on all tiers of government, traditional rulers, community leaders, development partners, donor agencies, the private sector, civil society organisations and the media to support the programme, while urging communities affected by illicit drug cultivation to embrace the model and work with the NDLEA to build lawful and productive livelihoods.
Marwa stressed that the initiative directly addresses the root causes of drug production by replacing cannabis cultivation with sustainable agricultural and economic opportunities. He assured that the Agency remains fully committed to expanding the programme nationwide in alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Speaking on the Ondo pilot, the NDLEA boss said the overwhelming acceptance by host communities and their leaders was one of the most encouraging outcomes, noting that the programme has restored confidence in government, provided dignified income alternatives for farmers, reduced poverty and vulnerability, improved food security and enhanced community safety.
Highlighting the scale of the cannabis challenge in Nigeria, Marwa cited the 2018 National Drug Use Survey, which revealed that 14.4 per cent of Nigerians aged 15–64—about 14.3 million people—used at least one psychoactive substance, more than double the global average. Cannabis, he noted, remains the most widely used and cultivated illicit drug, with about 10.6 million adult users and nearly 8,900 hectares of land under cultivation in high-risk areas, often linked to organised criminal networks.
He added that over 75 per cent of the 15 million kilograms of illicit drugs seized by NDLEA in the last five years were cannabis, warning of the severe social, health and security consequences such volumes could have caused.
Marwa expressed confidence that the alternative development initiative would reverse the trend if given sustained national support. He commended both national and international partners backing the pilot project, including the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development (GPDPD), Mae Fah Luang Foundation, and several friendly countries. He also acknowledged the support of Ondo State Governor, Dr. Lucky Ayedatiwa, and the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, represented at the event.
According to him, the programme signals a shift from enforcement-only responses to a more sustainable, development-driven approach to drug control in Nigeria.
