International partners and local stakeholders in the global effort to combat illicit drug trafficking have expressed their readiness to support the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency’s (NDLEA) Alternative Development Project (ADP), an initiative aimed at encouraging illicit drug producers and dealers to engage in lawful and productive business opportunities.
In a statement released on Friday by NDLEA spokesman Mr. Femi Babafemi, it was revealed that these commitments were made during the opening ceremony of a two-day workshop titled “Building a Support Network for the Alternative Development Project in Nigeria,” organized by the Alternative Development unit of NDLEA at the Agency’s National Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
Speaking at the ceremony, NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig-Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), explained the rationale behind the ADP initiative.
According to him, “In Nigeria, the Alternative Development Project will focus on reducing the vulnerabilities of ignorance, poverty, hunger, unemployment, and underdevelopment that drive people into illicit economies, particularly illicit drug cultivation.
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“Apart from its link to transnational organized crime, illicit drug cultivation fuels national organized crime, causing agricultural states to abandon food crop cultivation for cannabis plantations in some communities in Southwest Nigeria.
“We intend to reduce these vulnerabilities both in urban centers and rural areas through the provision of functional mechanisms and facilities for sensitization, skills acquisition, empowerment, and positive engagements for sustainable livelihoods.
“As a diversified enterprise tailored to meet various needs and interests of the people, the Alternative Development Project in Nigeria will focus on agricultural and community development, research and basic infrastructure, and industrial and commercial engagements.
“We will begin with agricultural development through the crop substitution project. We will also focus on advocacy and education programs and set up mechanisms to monitor and evaluate project implementation, progress, impacts, and challenges,” he said.
Marwa appreciated the Global Partnership on Drug Policies and Development in Berlin, Germany for providing a fully funded Alternative Development study visit opportunity to Thailand for some NDLEA officers.
In his remarks, Dr. Tettey commended NDLEA for blazing the trail in Alternative Development initiatives in Africa. He identified four critical elements needed for the success of the project as: “people-centred and responsive approach where the aspirations of the people, inclusion and local ownership of AD programmes will ensure meaningful participation of youths, women and the locals in the project design and implementation; value-added production chain and access to market which involves research- aided identification of high- yielding marketable crops in harmony with the local environment and equally satisfy local and international markets.”
He noted that environmental considerations must be paramount in all efforts around Alternative Development to ensure sustainability and protection of the ecosystem and pledged UNODC support to ensure a successful implementation.
Equally in his remarks, Mr. Danilo Campisi, Officer- in -Charge , UNODC Country Office, Nigeria, stated that 8,900 hectares of cannabis farmland being cultivated in six states in Nigeria would have been used for production of licit crops.
He condemned the recruitment of young men who are desperate for livelihood in the communities by drug barons, who exploit their vulnerabilities.
Speaking earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agribusiness and Productivity Enhancement, Dr. Kingsley Uzoma commended the NDLEA boss for the laudable initiative, noting that the Alternative Development project is in line with President Tinubu’s commitment to addressing issues of unemployment, youth and women empowerment by providing tools and resources needed to engage in productive licit farming activities in order to prevent the vulnerable from engaging in unlawful activities.