NDLEA’s Alternative Development Project Offers Sustainable Livelihoods To Cannabis Growers —Marwa

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), has said the agency’s newly launched Alternative Development Project will provide sustainable livelihoods for illicit cannabis growers while promoting food security in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Marwa stated this on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, during a town hall meeting in Akure, Ondo State, marking the launch of the Alternative Development Pilot Project in Nigeria.

The event drew national and international stakeholders, including the Ondo State governor, Dr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa; UNODC Country Representative, Mr. Cheikh Toure; Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development representative, Ms. Sarah David; and Global Coordinator, Alternative Development/Sustainable Livelihoods, UNODC Vienna, Mr. Thierry Rostan, among others.

In his keynote address, Marwa said the initiative was aimed at ending the “age-long battle” between law enforcement and illicit drug producers through community engagement and empowerment.

“This town hall meeting is designed for us to rub minds, work together, and agree on a friendly, community-centered approach to tackle the challenges of illicit drugs and related environmental crimes,” he said.

“We are not here to talk at you. We are here to talk with you. From this engagement, we look forward to sustainable commitments that will lead to a permanent exit from the world of illicit drugs.”

He noted that while illicit drug cultivation poses a significant challenge, it also offers an opportunity for collaboration and reform.

“We are here to build a robust community network to support the Alternative Development Project—to locate and establish alternatives to illicit cropping,” he said.

“We want to ensure a smooth transition from illicit cropping to food security, in tandem with the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President.”

Marwa explained that the Alternative Development Project seeks to help communities replace cannabis cultivation with legitimate, profitable crops.

“There is a wide range of licit cash and food crops such as Artemisia Annua, which has a higher financial value than cannabis and offers medicinal benefits in the treatment of malaria and other ailments,” he said.

He stressed that the programme focuses on empowerment rather than punishment, describing it as a shift from “enforcement to development.”

“We must face the hard truth: illicit drugs generate large profits, but the wealth rarely reflects in the communities where these drugs are grown,” he noted.

“While the kingpins prosper elsewhere, cultivating communities are left with poverty, soil degradation, and insecurity. Our primary focus, therefore, is the Crop Substitution Programme.”

Marwa assured the communities that the project is not a ploy to arrest anyone but a sincere effort to empower them.

“To the cooperating communities, from today, we are no longer ‘enemies’ as you might have once perceived us. We are friends. We are partners in progress,” he said.

“Let us sustain this friendship by working hand in hand to build drug-free, prosperous, and healthy communities in Ondo State.”

He added that the pilot phase of the project would begin with three communities in Ondo State, after which it would be assessed and expanded nationwide.

In his remarks, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa described the initiative as “a welcome development,” pledging the full support of the Ondo State Government.

“We will continue to strengthen collaboration with relevant stakeholders like NDLEA,” he said. “We are ready to allocate land, provide seeds and seedlings, and support this initiative. Our youth must say no to drugs and embrace innovation, entrepreneurship, and hard work.”

The governor also charged young people to take advantage of the programme to secure their future and contribute meaningfully to society.

Representing traditional institutions, the Olowo of Owo Kingdom and Chairman of the Ondo State Council of Traditional Rulers, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, commended Marwa for transforming the NDLEA into a result-driven agency.

“We urge our youths to key into this programme. There’s no alternative to it because we know the consequences of cannabis cultivation and drug abuse,” the monarch said.

“It is better to have opportunities that are legally available in the land. Let me assure the NDLEA of our support and partnership in this initiative.”

LEADERSHIP reports that the Alternative Development Project is expected to serve as a model for community-based drug control and rural empowerment across Nigeria, with NDLEA partnering international agencies and local stakeholders to ensure long-term sustainability.