NDLEA Trains Over 100 Counsellors Nationwide on Standard Rehabilitation Guidelines

By Adebola Muili

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has commenced a nationwide training programme for its counsellors to standardise rehabilitation practices and strengthen clinical competencies in line with global best practices in drug demand reduction.

The phase one of the training began at the NDLEA Academy, Jos, Plateau State, with more than 100 counsellors drawn from the Agency’s formations across the country participating in the exercise.

The training is being coordinated by the Directorate of Counselling, Treatment and Rehabilitation (DCTR) and marks the first Agency-driven capacity-building programme of its kind for NDLEA counsellors in several years.

Speaking at the commencement of the exercise, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), represented by the Director, Counselling, Treatment and Rehabilitation, ACGN Bashir Ibrahim, said the initiative was aimed at equipping counsellors with modern therapeutic tools to address the growing complexities of substance use disorders.

Marwa, according to a statement issued by the Agency, described the training as a reaffirmation of NDLEA’s commitment to the rehabilitation component of its mandate and a means of ensuring that clients receiving treatment at its facilities benefit from evidence-based and quality interventions.

He said the training would harmonise counselling practices through uniform protocols across NDLEA State Command rehabilitation facilities, while improving the clinical capacity of counsellors to deal with emerging psychoactive substances and co-occurring mental health disorders.

The NDLEA chairman said the programme would also align the Agency’s rehabilitation practices with national and international standards, strengthen ethics, confidentiality and quality assurance, and improve data management for evidence-based policymaking.

According to him, the exercise would further promote continuous professional development through peer review and clinical supervision, while reducing inconsistencies in service delivery and improving rehabilitation outcomes.

Marwa said the initiative underscored the Agency’s determination to build a resilient and well-equipped counselling workforce capable of responding effectively to Nigeria’s drug demand reduction challenges.

He added that the training was expected to improve the quality of care across NDLEA rehabilitation facilities and strengthen the integrity of the country’s drug treatment and rehabilitation system.

Marwa assured that the Agency would continue to invest in personnel development as part of its holistic strategy to tackle both drug supply and demand reduction in Nigeria.