The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), has described cannabis as the most widely used illicit drug in Nigeria, calling for urgent national support for alternative crop development to curb illegal cultivation.

Marwa made the call on Tuesday during a media briefing in Abuja, where he disclosed that cannabis accounted for about 75 per cent of all drug seizures recorded by the agency over the past five years.

He urged sustained backing for the NDLEA’s alternative development programme, recently launched to encourage cannabis farmers to switch to lawful crops that can improve rural livelihoods and strengthen national security.

“This approach represents a win-win solution for communities, government, and national security,” Marwa said.

According to him, the initiative is designed not only to reduce illicit drug production but also to boost rural economies and ease pressure on law enforcement agencies.

“The alternative development programme is not just a drug-control initiative; it is a people-centred development intervention aimed at uplifting communities, strengthening national security, and securing Nigeria’s future,” he stated.

Marwa explained that the pilot phase of the programme was launched last week in three major cannabis-producing communities in Ondo State, where it has already received positive feedback from local leaders and farmers.

“The farmers have openly stated that this programme has renewed their hope in Nigeria and restored their confidence in government,” he said. “They recognise that alternative development offers a dignified and lawful source of income.”

Highlighting the scale of the challenge, the NDLEA chief cited findings from the 2018 National Drug Use Survey, which showed that more than 10.6 million adults in Nigeria used cannabis in the preceding year, making it the country’s most frequently abused illicit substance.

“Cannabis is not a marginal issue in Nigeria; it is central to our drug crisis,” Marwa said.

He further revealed that nearly 8,900 hectares of land are currently under cannabis cultivation, particularly in high-risk areas across the South-West.

Marwa added that the NDLEA had seized over 15 million kilograms of illicit drugs nationwide in the last five years, with cannabis accounting for the bulk of the seizures.

“Just imagine the damage this quantity would have done to our youths, public health, and national security,” he said.

Despite the scale of the problem, Marwa expressed optimism that with sustained political and community support, the alternative development programme could reverse current trends.

"With the right support, we can build a safer, healthier, and more prosperous Nigeria in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration,” he said. (The Guardian)