Agency Unveils Crop Substitution Project For Illicit Cannabis Farmers

National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has unveiled the alternative development project, which will serve as a substitution project for the growers of illicit cannabis.

The chairman of the NDLEA, Brig-Gen. Mohamed Marwa (rtd), said Nigeria’s new Alternative Development Project is designed to end the long-standing conflict between law enforcement and illicit drug cultivators by providing sustainable livelihoods and food security for affected communities.

The NDLEA chairman revealed this in Akure on Tuesday at a town hall meeting where the NDLEA officially launched the Alternative Development Pilot Project.

The NDLEA, in a statement by its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, said the initiative focuses on replacing illicit cannabis cultivation with legal, high-value food and cash crops, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He quoted Marwa as saying that enforcement alone cannot solve the problem of illicit drug cultivation.

According to him, “We are here to establish alternatives to illicit cropping and ensure a smooth transition to sustainable livelihoods and food security.”

He further stated that the project is community-driven, inclusive, and empowerment-focused, not a tool for arrests or detention.

He explained that the programme targets willing communities, offering crop substitution options such as Artemisia Annua, which he said has higher economic value than cannabis and medicinal benefits, including malaria treatment.

The NDLEA boss also highlighted the link between drugs and insecurity, noting that criminal groups use drugs to fund and carry out violent activities and called on traditional rulers, youths, women groups, religious leaders, and market associations to take ownership of the initiative to ensure its sustainability.