The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (retd.), has raised concerns over the scale of illicit drug use in Nigeria, estimating that about 15 million people aged between 15 and 64 are involved.
Marwa said the figure, which represents roughly one in every seven Nigerians within the age bracket, is nearly three times the global average and described it as unacceptable.
He disclosed this during a courtesy visit to Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, at the Government House in Akure, where he presented data on drug use prevalence, enforcement outcomes and cannabis cultivation across the country.
According to Marwa, Ondo State remains Nigeria’s highest producer of cannabis, a situation he attributed to favourable climate and soil conditions. Citing the 2018 United Nations drug use survey, he said drug use prevalence in the state stands at 17 per cent, translating to an estimated 400,000 users.
He compared the figures with Lagos State, which has a prevalence rate of 33 per cent, accounting for about two million users, and Oyo State, with 24 per cent.
“The drug problem has had devastating consequences on our families and communities and has also fuelled criminality,” Marwa said. He linked drug abuse to security challenges, noting intelligence reports that kidnappers and other criminal groups operate from cannabis-growing communities in forested areas.
Marwa disclosed that the NDLEA in Ondo State recorded 336 arrests, secured 62 convictions, and seized 22,316 kilogrammes of illicit drugs. He added that the agency also destroyed about 207,000 kilogrammes of cannabis from farms and plantations across the state.
He further revealed that 243 individuals had received treatment at the NDLEA’s counselling and rehabilitation centre in Ondo State.
On policy direction, the NDLEA chairman said the agency had commissioned the Nigerian Academy of Science to conduct a scientific study on cannabis-extracted oil for medicinal use, stressing that any decision on controlled cultivation or export would be guided strictly by evidence.