Agency vows to entrench global best practices in drug demand reduction
By Olasunkanmi Akoni
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has commenced a nationwide training programme for its counsellors to standardise operational protocols and strengthen clinical competencies in line with global best practices in drug demand reduction.
The training, which commenced at the NDLEA Academy in Jos, Plateau State, is being coordinated by the Directorate of Counselling, Treatment and Rehabilitation (DCTR) and has brought together more than 100 counsellors from the agency’s formations across the country.
The exercise is the first agency-driven capacity-building programme of its kind for NDLEA counsellors in several years, with participants commending the initiative as a demonstration of the agency’s renewed commitment to the professional development of its counselling workforce.
Speaking at the commencement of Phase One of the exercise on Thursday, NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (retd.), represented by the Director, Counselling, Treatment and Rehabilitation, ACGN Bashir Ibrahim, said the training was critical to revitalising staff morale and equipping officers with modern therapeutic tools to address the evolving complexities of substance use disorders.
Marwa described the programme as a reaffirmation of the rehabilitation pillar of the agency’s mandate and a commitment to ensuring that clients in NDLEA facilities receive evidence-based and quality interventions.
He said the training would harmonise counselling practices through uniform protocols across state command rehabilitation facilities and enhance clinical proficiency in addressing emerging psychoactive substances and co-occurring mental health disorders.
Other objectives, he said, included aligning the agency’s rehabilitation practices with national and international standards; strengthening ethics, confidentiality and quality assurance; improving data management for evidence-based policymaking; promoting continuous professional development through peer review and clinical supervision; and improving rehabilitation outcomes by reducing inconsistencies in service delivery.
He said the initiative underscored the agency’s commitment to building a resilient and well-equipped counselling workforce capable of responding effectively to Nigeria’s drug demand reduction needs.
Marwa added that the training was expected to improve the quality of care across NDLEA rehabilitation facilities and strengthen the country’s drug treatment and rehabilitation system.
He assured that the agency would continue to invest in the capacity of its personnel as part of its comprehensive approach to tackling both drug supply and demand in the country.
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