Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has criticised the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) over the destruction of cannabis farms in Edo State, calling for the legalisation and proper regulation of cannabis cultivation in Nigeria.

Sowore expressed his position in a post on X, questioning the decision to destroy cannabis farms at a time when the country is facing widespread poverty and economic hardship.

The activist argued that rather than destroying cannabis crops, the government should develop a regulated framework that would allow Nigeria to benefit from the plant’s potential medicinal and industrial uses.

He described the destruction of the farms as a waste of economic opportunities and criticised the government’s approach to cannabis control.

“It is idiotic that NDLEA put on uniforms, march into farms, and set economically viable crops worth millions of dollars ablaze while your country is drowning in multidimensional poverty,” Sowore wrote.

He urged the agency to stop destroying cannabis farms and called for a review of what he described as an outdated policy.

“Stop destroying cannabis farms. Stop wasting enormous economic opportunities in the name of a failed and outdated policy,” he said.

Sowore further argued that a properly regulated cannabis industry could create jobs, generate government revenue and promote research and innovation in Nigeria.

“Legalise and properly regulate cannabis. Invest in research, harness its legitimate medicinal and industrial potential, create jobs, generate revenue, and build an industry Nigerians can benefit from,” he added.

His comments come amid continued enforcement by the NDLEA against the cultivation, trafficking and distribution of cannabis and other illicit drugs across the country.

While cannabis remains prohibited under Nigeria’s existing drug-control framework, Sowore has continued to advocate a shift towards regulation, arguing that the country could derive greater economic and industrial benefits from the plant if its legitimate uses were properly harnessed.