“We’ll continue to entrench best global practices in our drug demand reduction efforts” — Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd)
By Felix Mbata, Lagos state
The air at the NDLEA Academy in Jos carried something different this week. It wasn’t just the cool Plateau breeze. It was purpose.
For the first time in several years, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency gathered its people not to chase traffickers, but to heal. Over 100 counselors from every corner of the country have converged here under the coordination of the Directorate of Counseling, Treatment and Rehabilitation for a comprehensive nationwide training. The goal is simple yet profound: to ensure that no matter where a Nigerian walks into an NDLEA facility, the standard of care, the compassion, and the professionalism will be the same.
This marks a turning point. Participants say it is the first Agency-driven capacity-building programme of this scale for counselors in a long while, and they see it as proof that NDLEA is investing not just in enforcement, but in recovery.
Speaking at the opening of Phase 1, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, was represented by the Director of Counseling, Treatment and Rehabilitation, ACGN Bashir Ibrahim. He told the gathering that this training is about more than certificates. It is about revitalizing staff morale and giving officers modern therapeutic tools to confront the changing face of substance use disorders. He called it a reaffirmation of the rehabilitation pillar of the Agency’s mandate, and a promise to every client in NDLEA care that they will receive interventions that are evidence-based and rooted in global best practice.
The vision behind the training runs deep. It is about bringing uniformity to how rehabilitation is done across all State Command facilities so that quality does not depend on location. It is about equipping counselors to handle new and dangerous psychoactive substances, and the complex mental health challenges that often walk hand in hand with addiction. It is about aligning Nigeria’s rehabilitation work with both national and international standards, while strengthening the ethics, confidentiality and quality assurance that build trust between counselor and client.
There is also a strong push to improve how data is collected and used, because good decisions can only come from good information. And beyond the classroom, the Agency wants to build a culture of continuous growth through peer review and clinical supervision, so that learning never stops and service keeps getting better. At the heart of it all is one desire: to reduce inconsistencies and give every Nigerian seeking help the best possible chance at recovery.
ACGN Ibrahim said the initiative underscores NDLEA’s commitment to building a resilient and well-equipped counseling workforce, one that can respond effectively to the nation’s drug demand reduction needs. He noted that when counselors are better trained, the quality of care across all rehabilitation facilities rises, and the entire architecture of Nigeria’s drug treatment system becomes stronger and more credible.
In his message, Chairman Buba Marwa gave a clear assurance. The Agency, he said, will continue to invest in the capacity of its personnel as part of a holistic approach to tackling both drug supply and demand in the country. “We’ll continue to entrench best global practices in our drug demand reduction efforts,” he affirmed.
From Jos, these 100 counselors will return to their commands with new knowledge, new tools, and a renewed sense of mission.