NDLEA Begins Nationwide Training for Counselors on Standard Rehabilitation Guidelines

By Zainab Uzomah|Abuja

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

The first phase of the training, which began at the NDLEA Academy in Jos, Plateau State, is being coordinated by the Directorate of Counseling, Treatment and Rehabilitation (DCTR) and has brought together more than 100 counselors from the Agency’s formations across the country.

Speaking at the commencement of the exercise, NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), represented by the Director, Counseling, Treatment and Rehabilitation, ACGN Bashir Ibrahim, said the programme was designed to equip counselors with modern therapeutic tools to address the changing complexities of substance use disorders.

Marwa said the training would help harmonise rehabilitation practices across the Agency’s state commands, improve clinical proficiency in managing emerging psychoactive substances and co-occurring mental health disorders, and ensure compliance with national and international treatment standards. He added that the programme would strengthen professional ethics, confidentiality and quality assurance, while improving data management, clinical supervision and evidence-based policymaking.

According to him, standardising service delivery across NDLEA rehabilitation facilities would reduce inconsistencies and improve treatment outcomes for clients. Marwa described the initiative as a reaffirmation of the rehabilitation component of the Agency’s mandate, stressing that effective drug demand reduction required a well-trained and professionally equipped counseling workforce.

He assured that the Agency would continue to invest in personnel development and entrench global best practices in its efforts to tackle drug abuse and strengthen treatment and rehabilitation services nationwide.The training is expected to improve the quality of care provided at NDLEA rehabilitation facilities and further strengthen Nigeria’s drug treatment and rehabilitation system.