The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says Nigeria can finally break the long-running cycle of raids and arrests in illicit drug farming communities by offering farmers viable economic alternatives.
Brigadier General Buba Marwa (rtd), NDLEA chairman, made the case on Tuesday in Akure, Ondo State, at the launch of the agency’s Alternative Development Project — a programme aimed at persuading cannabis growers to abandon illegal crops for profitable, lawful farming.
Speaking through the agency’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, Marwa said the initiative is designed to replace confrontation with collaboration, while helping farming communities secure sustainable livelihoods and improved food security in line with President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.
He described illicit drug cultivation as a major national challenge but insisted it also presents an opportunity for cooperation between law enforcement agencies and affected communities.
“This town hall meeting is not about talking at you, but talking with you,” Marwa said. “We want a community-centred approach that delivers a permanent exit from the world of illicit drugs.”
Marwa noted the strong link between drug production, abuse and organised crime, including terrorism, banditry and insurgency, explaining that criminal networks both consume drugs and use proceeds from drug trafficking to fund violent activities.
According to him, Akure was chosen to host the engagement to help build community support structures, identify alternatives to illicit cropping and ease the transition to lawful agriculture.
The NDLEA chairman stressed that the project prioritises inclusion, ensuring that illicit crop growers, vulnerable individuals and other stakeholders actively participate in designing and implementing the programme.
“This initiative belongs to the people. Our goal is ownership and long-term sustainability,” he said.
Marwa clarified that the offer is strictly for communities genuinely willing to abandon cannabis cultivation and adopt legal crops, adding that the programme would not be used as a ploy to arrest or detain participants.
He highlighted Artemisia annua — a plant used in malaria treatment — as one of several licit crops with higher economic value than cannabis, capable of transforming rural economies.
“We must face the hard truth: while illicit drugs generate huge profits, the wealth rarely stays in the communities where they are grown,” Marwa said. “Kingpins prosper elsewhere, while farmers are left with poverty, degraded land and insecurity. That is why crop substitution is central to this programme.”
Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, welcomed the project, thanking Marwa for selecting the state as the pilot location and pledging the full support of his administration.
He said the initiative aligns with the state government’s commitment to tackling drug abuse and related crimes, not only in Ondo but across Nigeria.
