NDLEA Rolls Out Nationwide Training To Strengthen Drug Rehabilitation Services

By Sherif Salau

In a significant step toward professionalising addiction care across the country, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has commenced a nationwide training programme for more than 100 counsellors. The initiative aims to raise standards, ensure consistency, and improve the quality of drug treatment and rehabilitation services available to Nigerians.

The training, which is already under way, brings together counsellors drawn from treatment centres and facilities in different parts of the country. Participants are being equipped with updated knowledge, practical skills and uniform protocols designed to strengthen counselling techniques, case management and long-term recovery support.

Officials say the programme forms part of a broader effort by the agency to move beyond enforcement and address the human side of the drug crisis. By standardising the approach to treatment, the NDLEA hopes to reduce the variation in care that has long characterised rehabilitation services and to give recovering individuals a better chance of sustained recovery.

The move comes at a time when Nigeria continues to grapple with rising substance abuse, particularly among young people. Specialists have repeatedly stressed that effective counselling and structured rehabilitation remain critical missing pieces in the national response. The current training is intended to close that gap by building a larger pool of competent, well-trained professionals who can deliver evidence-based support.

While details of the curriculum and duration of the programme have not been fully disclosed, the agency has described the exercise as a key investment in the capacity of its treatment network. For families and communities affected by drug dependency, the development signals a practical commitment to improving the quality of care rather than relying solely on punitive measures.

As the training progresses, attention will turn to how quickly the newly equipped counsellors can translate their skills into better outcomes for patients. For now, the NDLEA’s decision to prioritise professional development marks a notable shift in focus one that places rehabilitation and recovery more firmly at the centre of the national drug-control agenda.