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Published on
07.10.24
The Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) came on a two-day visit to IITA on 17 – 18 September to engage and garner IITA-CGIAR‘s expertise to kick-start the Alternative Development Project (ADP) for youths and young adults in Nigerian states. ADP is an NDLEA project aiming to change mindsets and introduce alternative sources of livelihood to Nigerians who grow illicit crops to grow crime-free and profitable crops.
The team comprised 21 team members: NDLEA Oyo State Commander Olayinka Joe-Fadile, NDLEA-ADP Coordinator Dr Jonah Kolo, Deputy Coordinator Abdullai Ibrahim Idris, ADP Heads of seven states, members of the ADP study group, and other officers. Kolo, who is also FCAI Commander of Narcotics, said: “There is always a push factor why people go into illicit narcotic cultivation, consumption, and trafficking. ADP is a tool designed to address the global challenges of crime, insecurity, environmental degradation, poverty, socio-economic instability, and gender inequality. We want to decriminalize the intent of people to go into illicit drug cultivation through a partnership with IITA to guide our beneficiaries to profitable and licit agricultural ventures.”