African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has reopened Nigeria’s increasingly familiar cannabis debate, arguing that the plant could become an economic opportunity if the country moves from outright prohibition toward legalisation, regulation and large-scale export. His position is likely to generate plenty of political heat, particularly in a country where the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) is still battling illicit cultivation and trafficking.
Sowore’s latest argument comes against the backdrop of his criticism of the destruction of cannabis farms, which he described as economically wasteful. He has maintained that properly regulated cultivation could have medicinal and industrial applications and potentially create jobs and government revenue.
Cannabis Proposal Puts Nigeria’s Drug Laws Under the Spotlight
The proposal sounds almost like a Nigerian economic plot twist: instead of NDLEA officers destroying illegal farms, the government could theoretically regulate a legitimate agricultural industry and collect revenue from it. But that transformation would require major legal, regulatory and public-health decisions rather than simply declaring cannabis an export crop.
The NDLEA’s own position shows why the matter is complicated. The agency remains responsible for combating illicit production, trafficking and consumption of narcotic substances. In February 2026, its chairman said cannabis remained Nigeria’s most widely available illicit drug and highlighted the scale of illegal cultivation as a major public-health and security concern.
Cannabis Should Face Customs, Not Just NDLEA
There is, however, already evidence of a narrower policy conversation. In October 2025, NDLEA chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa said the agency was not opposed in principle to strictly controlled and regulated cannabis-oil exports to countries where such products are permitted, while stressing that domestic consumption remained prohibited. The agency subsequently clarified that this did not amount to an existing government approval for cannabis exports.
That distinction is important because Sowore’s proposal goes much further into the political and economic argument. Nigeria has already seen enormous quantities of illicit cannabis intercepted by authorities, including more than 6,700 kilograms seized at Lagos ports in 2026. So while Sowore sees an economic opportunity, the government’s challenge is determining whether any future legal framework could prevent a regulated industry from worsening illegal supply, misuse and trafficking.
For now, the political comedy practically writes itself: one side sees a potential export earner, another sees a drug-control nightmare, while Nigerians watching the argument may simply wonder whether the next campaign promise will come with a customs form attached.
The cannabi debate is therefore unlikely to disappear anytime soon. Whether Sowore’s proposal becomes a serious economic-policy discussion or remains another controversial campaign talking point will depend on the legal, health, security and regulatory questions surrounding it. Watch OGM News NG for further updates as this political “green economy” debate develops.
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