Prosper Okoye
Nigeria’s anti-drugs agency has launched a pilot programme aimed at persuading cannabis farmers to abandon illegal cultivation and switch to legal, profitable crops
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) unveiled the initiative on Tuesday in the south-western state of Ondo, describing it as a shift from enforcement-led crackdowns to cooperation with affected communities.
The project, known as the Alternative Development Pilot Programme, is designed to replace cannabis farming with food and cash crop production, while addressing poverty, insecurity and environmental damage linked to illicit drug cultivation.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelSpeaking at a town hall meeting in the state capital, Akure, the NDLEA chairman, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd), said the programme would help break a cycle in which criminal networks benefit while local farmers remain trapped in hardship.
“Those who control the trade prosper elsewhere, while farming communities are left with poverty and insecurity,” he said, adding that the new approach prioritised empowerment over punishment.
Mr Marwa said participation in the scheme was voluntary and stressed that it was not a pretext to arrest farmers.
He said alternative crops, including Artemisia annua — a plant with medicinal and commercial value — could generate higher incomes than cannabis while supporting public health and economic growth.
Ondo State Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa welcomed the project, pledging land, seedlings and other agricultural inputs to ensure its success. He urged young people to reject drug cultivation and embrace legal livelihoods.
International partners, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, also backed the initiative, describing it as consistent with global best practices on crop substitution and sustainable development.
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Traditional rulers in the state threw their support behind the programme, warning young people about the social and legal consequences of illicit drug farming.
The pilot scheme will begin in three communities in Ondo State. Its impact will later be assessed before a decision is taken on possible nationwide expansion.
Prosper Okoye is a Correspondent and Research Writer at Prime Business Africa, a Nigerian journalist with experience in development reporting, public affairs, and policy-focused storytelling across Africa
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