Former senator and Labour Party governorship candidate in the 2023 Imo State election, Athan Nneji Achonu, has disclosed that the National Assembly is considering a bill to legalise cannabis for medicinal and economic use.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Monday, Achonu urged the federal government to support the move, warning that Nigeria is “sleeping on a multi-trillion-naira opportunity” while other nations profit from what he described as “green gold.”
Achonu explained that although his earlier attempt to sponsor a similar bill in the Senate failed, a fresh proposal is now before lawmakers. He argued that with strict regulation, cannabis could drive economic diversification, attract investment, create jobs, and boost medical research.
“The global legal cannabis market is projected to exceed $100 billion before the end of the decade. Nigeria has the climate, soil, and manpower to lead, but we are clinging to outdated prohibitions,” he said.
The former senator noted that beyond taxation and exports, regulated cannabis production could provide alternative treatment for conditions such as epilepsy, cancer, and chronic pain.
On governance, Achonu criticised the poor use of federal allocations by states and councils following fuel subsidy removal. While praising the Tinubu administration’s reforms in subsidy removal, taxation, and local processing of raw materials, he stressed that transparency at grassroots level remains critical.
He urged civil society groups to hold local government chairmen accountable, saying the recent Supreme Court ruling granting local government autonomy would only be meaningful if spending is monitored. He also called for constitutional reforms to empower INEC to conduct council elections, arguing that state electoral bodies had become “mere instruments of manipulation.”
Achonu further renewed calls for rotational presidency across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, starting with the South-East and North-East, and described diaspora voting as “long overdue,” citing the $20 billion remitted by Nigerians abroad in 2024.
He also backed the federal government’s plan to expand local arms production, noting that security challenges demand home-grown solutions.
“I speak not just as a Labour Party man but as a citizen who loves this country deeply,” Achonu said. “If we confront these anomalies with courage—whether through empowering local governments, legalising cannabis, or embracing inclusive reforms—Nigeria can achieve stability and prosperity.”
