The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.), has called on traditional rulers across Nigeria to strengthen their involvement in the fight against drug abuse and illicit substance trafficking.
Marwa made the appeal on Tuesday during a courtesy visit to the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, at his palace in Benin City, Edo State.
The NDLEA chairman said he was in the state to assess the agency’s operations and activities at its Edo Command, as well as address the Regimental Sergeant Majors Convention of the Nigerian Army.
Describing drug abuse as a major challenge confronting the country, Marwa said more than 15 million Nigerians were involved in drug abuse, a figure he noted was significantly higher than the global average.
He stressed that tackling the problem required a collective effort involving traditional institutions, religious organisations, civil society groups, government agencies and the media.
However, he identified traditional rulers as particularly important partners because of their influence and connection with communities.
Marwa also acknowledged the support of the Oba of Benin in the campaign against illicit drugs, while highlighting the agency’s new approach to reducing cannabis cultivation through alternative livelihood programmes.
He disclosed that cannabis accounted for approximately 75 per cent of the 16 million kilogrammes of illicit substances seized by the agency over the past six years.
According to him, Edo State remains one of the areas where cannabis is cultivated, making community engagement essential to reducing the production and distribution of the substance.
Under the new strategy, known as Alternative Development, the NDLEA is encouraging cannabis farmers to abandon illicit cultivation and switch to legal agricultural activities such as cassava, yam and maize production.
Marwa said some farmers had welcomed the initiative, explaining that although cannabis cultivation could generate higher financial returns, growing legitimate food crops offered them greater peace of mind.
He described the programme as a new direction in Nigeria’s drug control efforts, adding that it had received support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Federal Government.
The initiative also aligns with the government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to provide alternative economic opportunities for people involved in illicit crop production.
Responding, the Oba of Benin commended the NDLEA for its efforts to combat drug trafficking and substance abuse across the country.
The monarch also pledged to contribute to the campaign, promising to personally present his recommendations to the NDLEA chairman on strengthening the fight against illicit drugs.
Marwa’s appeal underscores the importance of community participation and traditional institutions in addressing drug abuse, particularly through prevention, public awareness and alternative economic opportunities for vulnerable groups.
