The ECOWAS Commission and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on Tuesday ,began a three-day training for Nigeria Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (NENDU) Desk Officers.

Chairman/chief executive, NDLEA, Retired Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa, said at the training in Lagos that the programme would equip them with advanced skills for collecting and analysing drug data.

According to him, this will help to strengthen the country’s fight against drug abuse.

Mr Marwa, represented by director, drug demand reduction research, and statistics, NDLEA, Ngozi Madubuike, said that timely, accurate, and actionable data remained critical in addressing Nigeria’s evolving drug landscape.

Mr Marwa described accurate and timely drug data as “the compass that guides all serious anti-drug operations.”

He told participants, “Without reliable data, our interventions risk being misdirected or ineffective. Your role is central. You are the ones who turn field reports into actionable intelligence.”

He stressed that data integrity must remain a top priority, adding: “The information you provide is what policymakers, law enforcement, and treatment experts rely on to make decisions that save lives.

“This is not just an administrative task. It is a national duty,” he stressed.

Participants will learn modern techniques in data collection, validation, and analysis, ensuring the production of high-quality drug data for policy and intervention purposes.

The training, holding from Aug. 12 to Aug. 14, is sponsored by the ECOWAS Commission and focuses on improving the capacity of over 35 NDLEA drug treatment centre desk officers drawn from various states.

He described the NENDU system as vital to generating evidence for prevention campaigns, treatment services, and policy decisions.

“As Desk Officers, you are the frontline actors in the data value chain. Your diligence and accuracy are crucial to the integrity of the NENDU system,” he said.

He urged participants to view their work as both a professional responsibility and a patriotic duty.

The director, humanitarian and social affairs, ECOWAS Commission,  Sintiki Ugbe, said that substance abuse in West Africa was complex and constantly evolving.

Ms Ugbe, represented by the head of the ECOWAS drug prevention and control division, Daniel Amankwaah, noted that substance abuse in West Africa “is a moving target that requires real-time tracking.”

She added: “We cannot tackle what we cannot measure, and we cannot measure accurately without a strong national data system.”

Ms Ugbe said that ECOWAS established the West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (WENDU) in 2013 to monitor and address drug use trends across member states, with each country maintaining a national network like NENDU in Nigeria.

“Each country’s system feeds into the regional database. If the Nigerian NENDU network is strong, then WENDU becomes stronger, and the entire region benefits,” she said.

Ms Ugbe added that ECOWAS was not just investing in training but also in tools to make the work more efficient.

“We will be providing computers, scanners, and other equipment to NDLEA treatment centres to support your data collection efforts.

“This is part of our commitment to making sure you have the right tools for the job,” she said.

The director urged participants to see the training as a long-term investment in national and regional security.

“Every statistic you verify, every record you keep, could be the key that unlocks a major drug network or saves a community from the scourge of substance abuse,” she said.

She said that similar support would be extended to other treatment centres in 2026.

According to her, the NENDU reports feed into the WENDU annual report, which guides evidence-based policymaking and resource allocation in ECOWAS member states.

Ms Ugbe called on participants to ensure the skills acquired translate into reliable, credible, and actionable data that would help strengthen Nigeria’s response to drug abuse and trafficking.

(NAN)