Why NDLEA is offering sustainable livelihoods to illicit cannabis growers – Gen Marwa
By BASHIR ADEFAKA
He noted the strong link between substance abuse, drug trafficking and insecurity in Nigeria, including banditry, terrorism and other criminal activities, stressing that drugs are often used to fuel violence and fund criminal networks.
The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has said the introduction of the Alternative Development Project (ADP) in Nigeria is aimed at ending the long-standing confrontation between law enforcement agencies and illicit drug producers, while providing sustainable livelihoods that will enhance food security in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Marwa stated this at a town hall meeting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, during the launch of the Alternative Development Pilot Project in Nigeria. The details were contained in a statement issued by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Mr. Femi Babafemi, dated Tuesday, January 27, 2026.
The event attracted both physical and virtual participation of national stakeholders and international partners, including Ondo State Governor, Dr. Lucky Ayedatiwa; senior state government officials; the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Country Representative, Mr. Cheikh Toure; Head of Project, Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development, Berlin, Ms. Sarah David; Global Coordinator, Alternative Development/Sustainable Livelihoods, UNODC Vienna, Mr. Thierry Rostan; Dr. Tahirou Abdoulaye of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture; and representatives of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, among others.
In his keynote address, Marwa acknowledged the scale of the challenge posed by illicit drug cultivation but said it also presents an opportunity for collaboration and lasting solutions. He explained that the town hall meeting was designed to foster dialogue and partnership with communities through a friendly, community-centred approach to addressing illicit drug cultivation and related environmental crimes.
He noted the strong link between substance abuse, drug trafficking and insecurity in Nigeria, including banditry, terrorism and other criminal activities, stressing that drugs are often used to fuel violence and fund criminal networks.
According to him, the Alternative Development Project is focused on building community support systems, promoting crop substitution, and establishing sustainable livelihood structures that will enable a smooth transition from illicit crop cultivation to food and cash crop production. He emphasized inclusivity, community ownership and long-term sustainability as core pillars of the initiative.
Marwa explained that the project is open only to communities genuinely willing to abandon the cultivation of illicit crops such as cannabis and adopt licit alternatives. He noted that several legal crops, including Artemisia annua, offer higher economic value than cannabis and have added benefits such as medicinal uses, including malaria treatment.
Describing Alternative Development as empowerment rather than enforcement, the NDLEA boss said illicit drug profits rarely benefit cultivating communities, which are often left with poverty, environmental degradation and insecurity, while criminal kingpins thrive elsewhere. He stressed that the programme would not be used as a ploy to arrest or detain participants, but rather as a platform for partnership and trust-building.
Marwa called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth and women groups, community leaders and other stakeholders to support the initiative and form community-based structures to combat illicit drug cultivation and trafficking from within. He added that the Ondo State pilot, involving three pioneering communities, would be assessed before recommendations are made to the Federal Government for nationwide expansion.
In his remarks, Governor Ayedatiwa described the project as timely and commendable, thanking Marwa for selecting Ondo State for the pilot phase. He pledged the full support of the state government, including land allocation, land clearing, and provision of seeds and seedlings to ensure the success of the initiative.
The governor also urged youths to reject drug abuse and embrace the alternative opportunities being offered, assuring them of continued government support through policies and programmes aimed at youth empowerment and development.
Speaking on behalf of traditional institutions, the Chairman of the Ondo State Council of Traditional Rulers and Olowo of Owo Kingdom, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, expressed strong support for the initiative. He commended Marwa for transforming the NDLEA into a result-oriented agency and urged youths to embrace the programme, noting that legal and sustainable livelihoods offer a better future than illicit drug cultivation.
