Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has criticised the Federal Government and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) over the continued seizure and destruction of cannabis consignments, describing the country’s approach as economically short-sighted and outdated.
Sowore, a publisher of Sahara Reporters, made this remark in reaction to the reports that the Customs intercepted and destroyed cannabis reportedly valued at more than ₦16 billion and allegedly imported from Canada.
Sowore argued that while Nigeria continues to criminalise cannabis, several countries have already developed regulated industries around the product and are benefiting economically from it.
Sowore said countries such as Canada are generating billions of dollars annually through cannabis taxation, industrial production, medical research and exports, while Nigeria remains focused on prohibition.
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“The visionless Nigerian government and its Customs Service are once again celebrating the seizure and destruction of cannabis,” he said.
“This time, they confiscated over ₦16 billion worth reportedly imported from Canada,” he wrote on his social media page.
“Meanwhile, countries like Canada are generating billions in tax revenue, jobs, medical research, industrial production and exports from the regulated cannabis industry, while Nigeria remains trapped in backward, tunnel-vision policies rooted in ignorance and hypocrisy,” he stated.
The activist also warned that Nigeria could eventually become dependent on foreign cannabis products if global trade frameworks around the substance continue to expand.
“The same Western countries whose products you criminalise today may tomorrow flood your markets with ‘certified’ cannabis exports under international trade frameworks, while dismissing locally grown Nigerian cannabis as ‘substandard’,” Sowore added.
His comments have reignited debate over Nigeria’s cannabis laws, with some reform advocates calling for discussions around medical cannabis, industrial hemp production and possible economic benefits tied to regulation.
However, critics of cannabis legalisation insist that relaxing restrictions could worsen substance abuse, criminal activity and public health concerns, especially among young people.
Security agencies have consistently defended the destruction of cannabis shipments, maintaining that the operations are necessary to curb illegal drug trafficking and protect public safety.
The debate over cannabis regulation remains divisive across Nigeria, with policymakers, public health experts, security agencies and economic analysts holding sharply different views on whether the country should retain its prohibition policy or consider a regulated framework similar to those adopted in parts of North America and Europe.
