African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has renewed calls for Nigeria to reconsider its approach to cannabis, arguing that the plant could become a source of export earnings, jobs and industrial materials if properly regulated.
Speaking on the BTC Podcast, Sowore proposed large-scale cannabis exports from Nigeria, pointing to low-THC varieties and uses beyond smoking. He said cannabis can be processed into products such as edibles, clothing fibres and building materials.
The proposal comes as Nigeria continues to treat cannabis as an illicit drug while lawmakers have considered legislation covering medical and industrial uses.
Sowore Sees Cannabis as an Untapped Industry
The argument behind legalizing cannabis for revenue in Nigeria is that the plant could be treated as an agricultural and industrial commodity rather than only as a prohibited substance.
Sowore pointed to Canada’s experience after recreational cannabis was legalised in 2018. However, the often-cited figure of $5.4 billion in Canadian tax revenue needs context. Canadian government data shows the cannabis industry generated about $15.1 billion in government tax revenue between 2018 and 2021, while legal cannabis sales reached about $6 billion in 2024.
For Sowore, the Nigerian opportunity would not necessarily depend on encouraging local recreational use. He is focusing on controlled cultivation, processing and exports.
Nigeria Already Has a Complicated Cannabis Debate
The proposal faces a major obstacle because cannabis farming in Nigeria currently operates within a strict drug-control system.
The NDLEA has continued to seize cannabis and destroy illicit cultivation sites. In August, the agency reported destroying more than 329,000 kilograms of assorted illicit drugs, including different cannabis strains.
At the same time, the NDLEA has previously said it would not oppose strictly controlled exports of cannabis oil to foreign markets, provided production is licensed, monitored and restricted to approved export zones. The agency remains opposed to local consumption. This distinction could become central to the debate.
Could Nigeria Separate Industry From Drug Abuse?
The question facing policymakers is whether Nigeria can create a regulatory system that allows medical and industrial cannabis in Nigeria without expanding recreational drug use.
A Cannabis (Medical, Industrial and Control) Bill was listed for first reading in the House of Representatives in 2025, showing that legislative interest in a regulated framework already exists.
Sowore’s proposal therefore adds political pressure to an issue that regulators and lawmakers have already been debating.
The next step would require much more than legalisation. Nigeria would need clear THC limits, licensed farmers and processors, testing systems, export controls and strong enforcement against unlicensed cultivation.
If those safeguards can be designed, cannabis could become part of a wider agricultural export strategy. If they cannot, the economic argument will continue to compete with concerns over public health, addiction and drug trafficking.
