We will entrench best global practices in our drug demand reduction efforts – Marwa

…NDLEA trains counsellors on standard rehab guidelines

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), has given the assurance that the Agency would continue to invest in the capacity of its personnel as part of its holistic approach to tackling drug supply and demand reduction in the country.

He said this at the commencement of the phase 1 of a comprehensive training programme for its counsellors nationwide, noting that the training was “critical to revitalising staff morale and equipping officers with modern therapeutic tools to tackle the evolving complexities of substance use disorders.”

According to a press statement released Friday by the Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the initiative is aimed at “standardising operational protocols and strengthening clinical competencies in line with global best practices for drug demand reduction.”

The NDLEA boss was represented by the Director, Counselling, Treatment, and Rehabilitation, ACGN Bashir Ibrahim

The statement indicated that the training, which has started at the NDLEA Academy, Jos, Plateau state, was “being coordinated by the Directorate of Counselling, Treatment, and Rehabilitation (DCTR) and brings together over 100 counsellors drawn from the Agency’s formations across the country.”

“The exercise marks the first Agency-driven capacity-building programme of its kind for NDLEA counselors in several years, a development that has been widely commended by participants as a demonstration of the Agency’s renewed commitment to the professional growth of its counseling workforce,” Marwa said.

He described it as a “reaffirmation of the rehabilitation pillar of the Agency’s mandate and a guarantee that clients across NDLEA facilities receive evidence-based, quality interventions.”

He 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; aligning the Agency’s rehabilitation practices with national and international standards; strengthening ethics, confidentiality and quality assurance.”

Continuing, he said, it’s also to “improve data management for evidence-based policymaking; promoting continuous professional development through peer review and clinical supervision; and optimising rehabilitation outcomes by reducing inconsistencies in service delivery.”

He said the initiative “underscores the Agency’s commitment to building a resilient, well-equipped counselling workforce capable of responding effectively to the nation’s drug demand reduction needs.”

He added that the training was expected to “significantly improve the quality of care across NDLEA rehabilitation facilities and reinforce the integrity of Nigeria’s drug treatment and rehabilitation architecture.”