Marwa Seeks Nationwide Backing for Alternative Development to Curb Illicit Drug Cultivation

By: Michael Mike

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), has called for a coordinated national response to illicit drug cultivation, urging broad support for Nigeria’s newly introduced alternative development programme.

Marwa made the appeal at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, where he highlighted the need for sustained collaboration among government institutions, communities, development partners and the private sector to ensure the success of the initiative.

The alternative development programme, the first of its kind in Africa, was recently launched as a pilot scheme in three cannabis-producing communities — Ilu Abo, Ifon and Eleyewo — in Ondo State.

According to Marwa, the initiative is designed to address the root causes of illicit drug production by providing lawful and sustainable economic opportunities for affected communities.

Explaining the strategy, the NDLEA boss said the programme extends beyond replacing cannabis with other crops, adding that it promotes rural economic growth, strengthens agricultural value chains, improves food security and reduces the pressure on law enforcement and the criminal justice system. He noted that the approach also contributes to peace and social stability in areas previously linked to drug-related crime.

Marwa, while describing the pilot phase as encouraging, said the level of acceptance by host communities and traditional leaders demonstrated the effectiveness of community-driven solutions. He explained that residents have embraced the programme as a dignified pathway to improved livelihoods, reduced poverty and enhanced local security.

Marwa stressed that Nigeria’s drug challenge, particularly cannabis cultivation and use, necessitated a shift from enforcement-only measures to development-focused interventions endorsed by the United Nations.

He cited findings from the 2018 National Drug Use Survey, which indicated that over 14 million Nigerians had used psychoactive substances within a one-year period, with cannabis accounting for the highest level of use.

He further revealed that cannabis remains the most prevalent illicit drug in Nigeria, with millions of users nationwide and thousands of hectares of land under cultivation, particularly in forested areas of the South-West. According to him, these cultivation sites are often linked to organized criminal networks that supply both local and cross-border markets.

The NDLEA chairman warned that widespread cannabis production and consumption pose serious public health, social and security risks, especially for young people. He disclosed that more than three-quarters of all illicit drugs seized by the agency in the last five years were cannabis, underscoring the scale of the problem.

Despite the challenge, Marwa expressed optimism that the alternative development programme could significantly reduce illicit cultivation if backed by strong political will and sustained stakeholder support. He emphasized that the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in the areas of security, agriculture and community development.

Marwa commended both local and international partners for supporting the pilot project, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, agricultural research institutions and development organizations from several countries. He also acknowledged the support of the Ondo State Government and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

He called on communities affected by illicit drug cultivation to work closely with the NDLEA in building legal, productive and secure livelihoods, describing the programme as a people-focused intervention aimed at safeguarding Nigeria’s future.

Marwa Seeks Nationwide Backing for Alternative Development to Curb Illicit Drug Cultivation

Army troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA foil bandits’ attack, recover rustled animals in Sokoto

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of the Nigerian Army under Operation FANSAN YANMA, in collaboration with other security agencies, have foiled an early morning attack by armed bandits on Gandu Village in Wamako Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

Sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred on Feb. 1, 2026, at about 4:00 a.m., when a large group of bandits armed with sophisticated weapons invaded the community, firing sporadically.

The sources said troops from a nearby Army Forward Operating Base (FOB) and tactical teams were immediately deployed to block entry and exit routes to the village, while combing the area for suspects.

“Two suspects, identified as Aliyu Abubakar and Malam Garba, were arrested in possession of two rustled cows and a pickup vehicle,” the source said, adding that all neighbouring units have been alerted to watch out for fleeing bandits.

Army troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA foil bandits’ attack, recover rustled animals in Sokoto

Financial Inclusion: FG Signs MoU With 6 Professional Bodies To Train 10m Nigerians

By: Our Reporter

Nigeria will reap from its demographic dividend if youths, women are prioritised, equipped with skills, says VP Shettima

The Federal Government of Nigeria, on Monday, flagged off a free nationwide training of 10 million Nigerians on financial inclusion and literacy.

This is just as the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has said Nigeria can reap bountifully from its demographic dividend only if young Nigerians and women are equipped with the needed skills and ethical grounding required for a speedily progressing digital economy.

The training being undertaken by the Office of the Vice President through the Presidential Committee on Economic & Financial Inclusion (PreCEFI), chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, is designed to equip Nigerians, particularly women and youths, with essential financial skills, investment knowledge, and digital competencies for sustainable wealth creation.

Accordingly, the Office of the Vice President, through the PreCEFI, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with six professional bodies to jointly design training programmes, certification pathways, digital skills initiatives, and mentorship platforms that would strengthen Nigeria’s financial and enterprise workforce.

The professional bodies include the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN); Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN); Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS); National Institute of Credit Administration (NICA); Chartered Risk Management Institute (CRMI) and Nigeria Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NIIE).

Speaking when he officially flagged off the free nationwide training of 10 million Nigerians, on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Vice President noted that the signing of the MoU between the Federal Government and the six of Nigeria’s foremost professional bodies was more than a formal agreement.

“It is a strategic national investment in capacity as infrastructure which is the human, institutional, and ethical foundations upon which inclusive growth must rest,” he stated

Senator Shettima noted that the Aso Accord on Economic and Financial Inclusion, which the PreCEFI is mandated to implement, recognises the fact that “financial inclusion is not achieved by access alone, but by competence, trust, and capability.”

According to him, the nation “cannot build a one-trillion-dollar economy on weak skills, fragmented standards, or disconnected professional ecosystems.”

He explained: “This MoU therefore establishes a working framework to harness the collective expertise of ICAN, CIBN, CIS, CRMI, NICA, and NIIE to advance inclusion through capacity building, advocacy, digital transformation, youth empowerment, and support for small and medium practitioners.

“It establishes a structured mechanism for joint training programmes, policy dialogue, digital skills development, and professional standards that align market practice with national inclusion goals.”

VP Shettima pointed out that while capacity building is financial inclusion, “without accountants who understand MSME formalisation, credit administrators who can assess risk beyond collateral, bankers who embed consumer protection, risk professionals who anticipate digital threats, and innovators who translate ideas into enterprises, inclusion remains a slogan rather than a system.”

Maintaining that the training programme must prioritise young Nigerians and women, the VP said, “Importantly, this collaboration prioritises women and youth inclusion and digital transformation, recognising that Nigeria’s demographic dividend will only materialise if young people are equipped with relevant skills and ethical grounding for a fast-evolving digital economy.”

He charged the PreCEFI and the professional bodies not to treat the MoU as a mere document, but as a living platform for execution.

“Accordingly, on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,GCFR, I hereby flag off the free training of 10 million Nigerians with priority for women and youth across the country,” VP Shettima declared.

Earlier, the President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Mallam Haruna Nma Yahaya, applauded the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for its bold economic reforms that has culminated in the flag off of the financial inclusion free training programme for 10 million women and youths in Nigeria.

He said the decision to embark on the project was prompted by visible improvements in the economy as a result of the gains of the Federal Government’s policy reforms.

Yahaya assured the Vice President of their professional support in the realisation of set objectives, describing their involvement involvement in the project as an institutional honour.

For his part, the CEO of WAWU Africa – technical partners in the programme, Mr Emmanuel Lennox, assured of the company’s readiness to deliver on the project, particularly in providing the digital platform and overall enabling environment for its success.

Also, explaining why the training of 10 million Nigerians on financial inclusion had become necessary, the Technical Adviser to the President on Economic and Financial Inclusion, Dr. Nurudeen Abubakar Zauro, said said, “Exclusion is not only by lack of access, but by limited skills, weak institutional capacity, and insufficient professional support.

“Consequently, financial inclusion is not achieved by infrastructure alone; it is achieved when people and institutions are equipped to use that infrastructure responsibly, productively, and sustainably.”

The high point of the event was the signing of the MoU for the capacity building programme by the Federal Government and the six professional bodies.

Financial Inclusion: FG Signs MoU With 6 Professional Bodies To Train 10m Nigerians