… Says Drug Abuse Triples Global Average In Nigeria
… Lagos, Oyo, Ondo Among States With Highest Consumption Rates
… 243 Users Rehabilitated, 62 convictions Secured In 2025
Daud Olatunji
About 15 million Nigerians aged between 15 and 64 years are reported to use hard drugs, nearly three times the global average, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), has disclosed.
Marwa revealed this during a visit to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa in Akure, Ondo State, where he also presented comprehensive data on drug use, enforcement outcomes, and cannabis production in the country.
Citing the 2018 United Nations drug use survey, Marwa said one in every seven Nigerians consumes drugs, describing the figure as “unacceptably high.”
He noted that Ondo State has a drug use prevalence of 17 per cent, equivalent to around 400,000 users, while Lagos State tops the chart with 33 per cent prevalence (about 2 million users) and Oyo State at 24 per cent.
Marwa highlighted that in 2025, the NDLEA Ondo command recorded 336 arrests, seized 22,316 kilograms of illicit substances, and secured 62 convictions.
Cannabis seizures from farms and plantations across the state reached 207,000 kilograms, which were destroyed.
The agency’s counselling and rehabilitation centre also treated 243 drug users within the year.
Describing Ondo State as Nigeria’s largest cannabis producer, Marwa attributed it to the state’s favourable climate and fertile soil.
He announced that the NDLEA had commissioned the Nigerian Academy of Science to study cannabis-extracted oil for medicinal purposes, stressing that any future decision on controlled cultivation and export would be strictly evidence-based.
To curb illicit cultivation, Marwa said the agency had set up an Alternative Development Unit at its headquarters to engage cannabis-growing communities in cultivating legal crops.
The initiative includes community development, farm inputs, infrastructure, schools, clinics, and market access to ensure sustainable livelihoods.
Ondo State has been selected as a pilot for the programme after extensive community engagement.
Governor Aiyedatiwa pledged full support for the NDLEA’s programmes, praising Marwa for personally leading the initiative.
The governor said the initiative would complement enforcement and provide alternative livelihoods for farmers.
He acknowledged Ondo’s status as the largest cannabis producer, while noting its strong agricultural potential, including cocoa, and stressed continued community engagement through traditional rulers, churches, and mosques to encourage behavioral change.
The governor welcomed the Alternative Development Unit, suggesting it could operate under the Governor’s Office in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and relevant advisers.
He also expressed interest in the medicinal use of cannabis oil, urging the NDLEA to expedite ongoing studies and share findings with the state
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