The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has launched an Alternative Development Pilot Project in Ondo State aimed at providing sustainable livelihoods to communities involved in illicit cannabis cultivation. The initiative seeks to replace illegal cropping with the cultivation of licit crops, while fostering community engagement and food security.
Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), NDLEA Chairman, announced the programme on Tuesday at a town hall meeting in Akure, Ondo State. The event brought together national stakeholders, international partners, the Ondo State Governor Dr Lucky Ayedatiwa, traditional rulers, and representatives from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

Marwa said the project is intended to build cooperation between the NDLEA and communities involved in illicit cropping, offering alternatives only to those willing to shift to legal cultivation. “We want to facilitate a total shift from illicit cropping to massive food and cash crop production,” he said. He added that crops such as Artemisia Annua, which has medicinal properties, could provide financial benefits greater than those of cannabis, while also contributing to public health and local economic development.
The NDLEA chief described the initiative as an empowerment programme rather than an enforcement exercise. “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,” Marwa said. He emphasised inclusivity, stating that local leaders, youth, women, and all community stakeholders would play an active role in the project’s implementation.

Governor Ayedatiwa expressed support for the project, committing state resources, including land and seedlings, and encouraged youth participation. “We are ready to allocate land, provide seed and seedlingsM to support this initiative,” he said, adding that the government would collaborate with traditional institutions, religious bodies, civil society, and the private sector to strengthen awareness, prevention, rehabilitation, and reintegration efforts.
Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, Chairman of the Ondo State Traditional Rulers Council, also endorsed the project, urging young people to take advantage of the legal opportunities provided. “We urge our youths to key into this programme. There’s no alternative to it, because we know the consequences of cannabis cultivation and all other drugs,” he said.
Marwa concluded that the pilot project in three Ondo State communities would be assessed for expansion nationwide, with the goal of establishing sustainable, drug-free livelihoods across Nigeria.
The NDLEA said the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and aims to create long-term economic and social benefits for previously marginalised communities.