Illicit drugs: Marwa calls for national response, support for alternative development

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), has called for a robust national response and sustained support for the agency’s newly initiated “Alternative Development” programme.

The initiative is designed to curb illicit cannabis cultivation, uplift rural communities, and strengthen national security.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Marwa sought to galvanize support for the drug control initiative—the first of its kind in Africa.

Our correspondent reports that the pilot scheme was launched last week in three cannabis-growing communities in Ondo State.

While explaining the strategy, the NDLEA boss emphasized that the concept goes far beyond simple crop substitution.

He noted that its wider benefits include strengthening rural economies through value-chain development, reducing the burden on law enforcement and the criminal justice system, promoting peace in previously crime-prone areas and supporting national food production and agricultural diversification.

“This approach represents a win-win solution for communities, the government, and national security,” Marwa stated. “The successful takeoff of the pilot scheme in Ilu Abo, Ifon, and Eleyewo in Ondo State clearly demonstrates that alternative development works when communities are engaged, supported, and empowered.”

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