The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has clarified that the statement of its Chairman/Chief Executive Officer at a workshop organized by the Nigerian Academy of Science on the prospect of cannabis oil export was merely its opinion and not an announcement of the Federal Government’s position on the issue yet.
Chairman/CEO of the Agency Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) had in his remarks as one of the invited guests at the workshop themed “Cannabis Oil Debate: The Path Forward for Nigeria”, organized by the Nigerian Academy of Science in Abuja on Wednesday 8th October 2025, disclosed that the NDLEA is not averse to the idea of exporting cannabis oil to other countries who desire it for the sole aim of generating foreign exchange earnings for Nigeria while maintaining its opposition to its local use due to the position of the extant law on such and the already high prevalence of drug abuse in the country.
It is important to note that the Agency’s position was one of the many opinions canvassed by various stakeholders invited to address the workshop and should not be seen as the Federal Government’s approval of the position yet, especially since the Agency commissioned the ongoing study on cannabis oil by the Nigerian Academy of Science. We can only be further guided on this matter by the final recommendations of NAS which will eventually be submitted to the Federal Government as part of inputs that will be used to develop an informed policy on the subject.
This clarification is needed to avoid misrepresentations and suggestions that the Agency has approved cannabis oil export, a decision that can only be taken by the Federal Government after considering inputs from various stakeholders.
