Over 15 Million Nigerians Use Illicit Drugs — NDLEA Boss Raises Alarm in Ondo

AKURE — More than 15 million Nigerians aged between 15 and 64 are currently using illicit 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 (rtd.), has disclosed.

Marwa made the revelation on Monday during a courtesy visit to Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, in Akure, where he also unveiled fresh operational data underscoring the scale of drug abuse and trafficking across the country.

Citing the 2018 United Nations drug use survey, Marwa said one in every seven Nigerians within the working-age population consumes drugs, a trend he described as “unacceptable” and deeply damaging to families, communities and national security.

“In Ondo State alone, drug use prevalence stands at 17 per cent, translating to roughly 400,000 users,” he said. “While this is lower than Lagos at 33 per cent, it remains far too high.”

According to the NDLEA boss, the agency’s Ondo State Command recorded 336 arrests in 2025, seized 22,316 kilogrammes of illicit substances and secured 62 convictions. He added that the agency also destroyed about 207,000 kilogrammes of cannabis from plantations and farms across the state.

Marwa noted that Ondo State is Nigeria’s highest producer of cannabis due to its favourable climate and soil conditions, a reality that continues to pose a major challenge for drug control efforts nationwide. He disclosed that over 75 per cent of the 15,000 tonnes of illicit substances seized by the NDLEA in the last five years were cannabis-related.

The NDLEA chairman also linked drug cultivation to broader security threats, warning that criminal networks, including kidnappers and terrorist groups, often operate from deep forest communities where cannabis is cultivated.

“Our intelligence shows that kidnappers and other criminal elements increasingly live among cannabis-growing communities, where drugs are readily available,” Marwa said. Beyond enforcement, Marwa announced a strategic shift by the agency towards alternative development. He says it is aimed at reducing illicit cultivation through economic substitution.

He revealed that the NDLEA has commissioned the Nigerian Academy of Science to conduct a scientific study on cannabis-extracted oil for potential medicinal use. He further stressed that any decision on controlled cultivation or export would be strictly evidence-based and subject to federal approval.

As part of the new approach, the NDLEA has established an Alternative Development Unit to engage cannabis-growing communities and encourage a transition to legal crops. The initiative includes community development programmes, provision of farm inputs, infrastructure, schools, healthcare facilities and access to markets.

Ondo State has been selected as the pilot location for the programme following a year of engagement with cannabis-producing communities.

Governor Aiyedatiwa pledged full support for the NDLEA, commending Marwa for his commitment to curbing illicit drug cultivation, trafficking and consumption. He welcomed the Alternative Development Programme, noting that it would provide farmers with legitimate livelihoods while strengthening the state’s agricultural economy.

While acknowledging Ondo’s reputation as Nigeria’s largest cannabis producer, the governor emphasized that the state is also a major producer of legal crops such as cocoa. The vast forests area, fertile soil and favourable climate of the state allow for cash crop cultivation.

Marwa expressed appreciation for the Ondo State Government’s backing, including the establishment of a State Drug Control Committee with plans to extend it to local government levels, as well as financial and operational support for the NDLEA command.

He warned that pending amendments to the NDLEA Act would introduce stiffer penalties for drug-related offences.