NDLEA Launches Nationwide Training For Drug Abuse Counselors

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has commenced a nationwide training programme for its counselors as part of efforts to strengthen drug treatment and rehabilitation services across Nigeria

According to Ireporter Online, the training is taking place at the NDLEA Academy in Jos, Plateau State, and is being coordinated by the agency’s Directorate of Counseling, Treatment and Rehabilitation.

More than 100 counselors drawn from various NDLEA formations across the country are participating in the first phase of the capacity-building exercise.

The programme represents one of the agency’s major training initiatives specifically targeted at its counseling workforce in recent years and is aimed at equipping personnel with improved professional knowledge and practical skills.

The training is also designed to promote a more consistent approach to counseling and rehabilitation across NDLEA treatment facilities while ensuring that people receiving care receive effective and professional support.

Participants are being exposed to updated methods for addressing emerging patterns of substance abuse, including cases involving drug use alongside mental health challenges.

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the initiative would strengthen the confidence and competence of counselors and provide them with the tools required to respond effectively to the changing nature of substance use disorders.

Marwa, who was represented at the opening ceremony by the Director of Counseling, Treatment and Rehabilitation, ACGN Bashir Ibrahim, described the programme as part of the agency’s broader efforts to strengthen the rehabilitation component of its mandate.

The exercise will also focus on establishing uniform procedures across rehabilitation centres operated by the agency’s various state commands.

Counselors are expected to gain further knowledge in areas including professional ethics, patient confidentiality and methods of monitoring and improving the quality of services provided to clients.

The programme also places emphasis on the proper collection, management and use of data from rehabilitation facilities, with the agency expecting improved records to support planning and decision-making in drug treatment and prevention programmes.

The NDLEA said the training would encourage continuous professional development through peer review, clinical supervision and other capacity-building initiatives.

The agency expects the improved skills of its counseling workforce to contribute to better treatment outcomes and more consistent rehabilitation services for people affected by substance use disorders.

Marwa reaffirmed the NDLEA’s commitment to developing its personnel as part of its broader strategy to tackle both the supply and demand sides of drug abuse in Nigeria.

The agency said the initiative would further strengthen its treatment and rehabilitation framework, with the goal of bringing services closer to accepted national and international standards.