The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has launched a nationwide training programme for its counsellors, aimed at standardising operational protocols and strengthening clinical competencies in line with global best practices for drug demand reduction.
The training kicked off at the NDLEA Academy in Jos, Plateau State, coordinated by the Agency’s Directorate of Counselling, Treatment and Rehabilitation (DCTR). It brings together more than 100 counsellors drawn from NDLEA formations across the country.
Participants have described the exercise as the first Agency-driven capacity-building programme of its kind for NDLEA counsellors in several years, calling it evidence of the Agency’s renewed commitment to the professional development of its counselling workforce.
Speaking at the opening of Phase 1 of the training, the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), represented by the Director of Counselling, Treatment and Rehabilitation, ACGN Bashir Ibrahim, said the programme was critical to boosting staff morale and equipping officers with modern therapeutic tools to address the evolving complexities of substance use disorders.
He described the training as a reaffirmation of the rehabilitation pillar of the Agency’s mandate, and a guarantee that clients at NDLEA facilities nationwide would receive evidence-based, quality interventions.
Marwa said the key objectives of the training include harmonising practice through uniform protocols across all State Command rehabilitation facilities, enhancing clinical proficiency to address emerging psychoactive substances and co-occurring mental health disorders, and aligning the Agency’s rehabilitation practices with national and international standards.
He added that the training also aims to strengthen ethics, confidentiality, and quality assurance; improve data management for evidence-based policymaking; promote continuous professional development through peer review and clinical supervision; and optimise rehabilitation outcomes by reducing inconsistencies in service delivery.
He said the initiative reflects the Agency’s commitment to building a resilient, well-equipped counselling workforce capable of responding effectively to Nigeria’s drug demand reduction needs, adding that the training is expected to significantly improve the quality of care across NDLEA rehabilitation facilities and strengthen the integrity of the country’s drug treatment and rehabilitation architecture.
Marwa assured that the Agency will continue investing in its personnel’s capacity as part of a holistic approach to tackling drug supply and demand reduction in Nigeria.
