The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has gained the support of international partners and local stakeholders in the global effort to combat the scourge of illicit drug trafficking.
These stakeholder have also expressed their preparedness to support the Alternative Development Project (ADP) of the NDLEA, an initiative aimed at encouraging illicit drug producers and dealers to engage in lawful and productive business opportunities.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi said in a statement on Friday, that they (global and local stakeholders), made the commitments in their remarks during the opening ceremony of a two-day workshop on “Building a Support Network for the Alternative Development Project in Nigeria”, organised by the Alternative Development unit of the anti-narcotic agency at its national headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking at the ceremony, chairman/chief executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (rtd) explained the decision to embrace the ADP initiative, noting that it “will focus on reducing the vulnerabilities of ignorance, poverty, hunger, unemployment and underdevelopment that push people into illicit economies, particularly illicit drug cultivation.
Aside from its link to transnational organised crime, illicit drug cultivation fuels national organised crime that causes 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 centres and rural areas through the provision of functional mechanisms and facilities for sensitisation, skills acquisition, empowerment and positive engagements for sustainable livelihoods,” Marwa said.
He further said, “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 programmes and set up mechanisms to monitor and evaluate project implementations, progress, impacts and challenges.”
The NDLEA boss expressed appreciation to 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 officers of the agency.
He equally applauded the contributions of the immediate-past Country Representative of UNODC in Nigeria, Mr. Oliver Stolpe; Chief, Drugs, Laboratory and Scientific Services Branch of UNODC, Vienna, Dr. Justice Tettey; Ashnik Alternative Development Initiative, an NGO and other stakeholders who assisted in developing the framework for the birth of the Alternative Development unit of the NDLEA.
He called for a more robust global support to ensure the success of the project.