NDLEA Secures Edo Government, Oba Of Benin’s Support For Alternative Livelihoods For Cannabis Farmers.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has secured the backing of Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, and the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, for a programme aimed at persuading cannabis farmers to abandon illicit cultivation for legitimate agriculture.
The initiative, which offers cannabis growers alternatives such as cassava, yam and maize, follows the agency’s arrest of more than 1,200 suspected traffickers and seizure of over 30 tonnes of illicit substances in Edo State in 2025.
The agency’s Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig.
Buba Marwa (rtd), disclosed the figures on Wednesday in Benin City while seeking the support of the Edo State Government and the traditional institution for an intensified campaign against drug abuse and illicit trafficking. The intervention signals a shift beyond arrests and seizures towards confronting the economic incentives sustaining cannabis production, particularly in communities where illicit cultivation has become a source of livelihood. Marwa, who led the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy to Edo, said the Alternative Development Programme, whose pilot phase was launched in Ondo State in January, would be extended to the state following encouraging results. Under the programme, cannabis farmers are encouraged to switch to legitimate crops, with government support through farm inputs and the provision of essential community infrastructure, including roads, schools, clinics and water facilities.
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