The Ondo state government and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have concluded plans to tackle cannabis cultivation and other illicit drug activities through an Alternative Development Pilot Project launched in the state.
The decision was announced on Tuesday at a town hall meeting in Akure, the Ondo State capital, where the NDLEA formally unveiled the initiative.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), described illicit drug cultivation as a major national crisis with direct links to insecurity across the country.
Marwa said substance abuse and drug trafficking have continued to fuel criminal activities, including terrorism, banditry, and insurgency, noting that drugs are often used by criminals before carrying out attacks and as a source of funding.
He explained that the Alternative Development Project is designed to replace confrontation with cooperation by offering drug cultivators sustainable and lawful means of livelihood.
“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,” Marwa said.
According to him, the initiative aims to end the long-standing battle between law enforcement agencies and illicit drug producers by promoting crop substitution, food security, and economic empowerment.
He assured participants that the programme would not be used as a ploy to arrest or detain farmers, stressing that it is open only to communities that are willing and sincere about abandoning illicit crop cultivation.
Marwa also disclosed that the NDLEA is partnering with national and international stakeholders to introduce alternative crops with high economic value, including Artemisia annua, which he said yields more income than cannabis and also has medicinal benefits, particularly in the treatment of malaria.
“Illicit drugs generate huge profits, but that wealth rarely reflects in the communities where they are grown. While kingpins prosper elsewhere, these communities are left with poverty, soil degradation, and insecurity. Our focus is empowerment as an alternative to enforcement,” he added.
He noted that Ondo state was selected for the pilot phase, which would begin in three communities before being assessed and recommended for expansion across the country.
Remarking, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa lauded the NDLEA for choosing the state for the pilot project and pledged the government’s full support.
The governor also said the state would provide land, clear farmlands, and supply seeds and seedlings to ensure the success of the initiative.
He, however, advised the youths to shun drug abuse and embrace the alternative opportunities being offered by the NDLEA.
“I therefore wish to use this opportunity to assure the NDLEA of the continued support and cooperation of the Ondo state government under my leadership towards stemming the tide of drug abuse here in Ondo State and in Nigeria at large.
“We will continue to strengthen collaboration with relevant stakeholders like yours, just as you have mentioned that it is time to dialogue, to collaborate,” the governor said.
Speaking on behalf of traditional rulers in the state, the Chairman of the Ondo State Council of Traditional Rulers and Olowo of Owo Kingdom, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye, lauded the NDLEA leadership for repositioning the agency and urged youths to take advantage of the initiative.
The event was attended by the Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Mr. Cheikh Toure; Head of Project, Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development, Berlin, Ms. Sarah David;
Others are Global Coordinator, Alternative Development/Sustainable Livelihoods, UNODC Vienna, Mr. Thierry Rostan; officials of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, and representatives of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, among others.
