Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, and his Ondo State counterpart, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu have called for cannabis sativa exportation.
Oborevvori argued on Monday in Asaba that cannabis farms should not be destroyed in the declared fight against drug/substance abuse, but used specifically to earn foreign currency for the country.
The Governor said this while speaking at an outreach program organized by the State Drug Control Committee in collaboration with the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria to mark the year’s Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
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The theme of the celebration was “People First”: Ending Stigma and Discrimination, Strengthening Prevention.
Over the past 12 months, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has destroyed 25.16 hectares of cannabis sativa farmland in Delta State.
However, Oborevwori, who was represented by the State Government Secretary (SSG), Dr Kingsley Emu, urged Nigeria to exploit the medicinal content of cannabis to grow it in commercial quantities for export.
He said:
“Today, several states in the United States have legalized cannabis sativa on health grounds because it has become a substance to cure some health challenges. Let us try and explore that option too.
“As a state, if we have the natural advantage to cultivate it in a controlled manner, if we have the capability to grow it because it grows here very easily and freely, why don’t we cultivate it and translate it to economic uses.
“Destroying 25.16 hectares of cannabis sativa farmland is a waste. The cost of destruction is a lot, and even the environmental impact is also there.
“So if we can do that in a controlled form, have people authorised to grow it, then with off takers, and then you have a full-proof way of taking it out of the country, I think we should encourage it.”
Oborevwori further commended the NDLEA in the fight against drug/substance abuse and lamented the alarming rate of drug/substance abuse among young people in the country and the associated negative after-effects.
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He said:
“The high rate of drug abuse in Nigeria and its negative impact on public health and safety necessitates that all the relevant stakeholders rise to the challenge of ridding our society of this scourge.
“Rest assured that this administration will sustain the current collaborative efforts with the NDLEA and the SDCC in the fight against drug abuse. Ultimately, the solution to drug abuse lies with the larger society. It cannot be left to the government alone.
“Families, schools, media, voluntary organizations, and religious bodies must make concerted efforts to confront and eradicate drug abuse from our society. Parents must ensure that they monitor their children; schools should encourage the formation of social clubs to sensitize the students.”
