News Agency of Nigeria
ECOWAS, NDLEA train desk officers to boost drug data collection, analysis

ECOWAS, NDLEA train desk officers to boost drug data collection, analysis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Taiye Olayemi

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Marwa, represented by Director, Drug Demand Reduction Research, and Statistics, NDLEA, Dr Ngozi Madubuike, said that timely, accurate, and actionable data remained critical in addressing Nigeria’s evolving drug landscape.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 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, Dr Sintiki Ugbe, said that substance abuse in West Africa was complex and constantly evolving.

 

 

 

Ugbe, represented by the Head of the ECOWAS Drug Prevention and Control Division, Dr 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.”

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

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) (www.nannews.ng)

 

Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa

ECOWAS President urges Member States to expedite action on Africa gas project

ECOWAS President urges Member States to expedite action on Africa gas project

By Mark Longyen

)Dr Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, has called on Member States to collaborate and expedite action toward ensuring that the African-Atlantic gas project(AAGP) becomes a reality.

Touray made the plea at a joint meeting of the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) Ministers of Hydrocarbons and Energy, with Morocco and Mauritania participating, on Friday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the energy ministers’ meeting was to deliberate on AAGP’s institutional agreements to facilitate regional access to natural gas and expansion across global markets

It is a 6,800km gas pipeline network within the ECOWAS subregion, 5,100 kilometres offshore from Nigeria to Morocco, passing through the coastal countries to Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.

The president , who was represented by Mr Sediko Douka, ECOWAS Commissioner for Infrastructure, Energy, and Digitalisation, said the project had already reached a critical stage of its implementation.

He said the main objective of the meeting was to provide an update on the overall progress of the project, and present to them the latest versions of the community texts.

“We have reached a critical phase in the development of this project, and it is essential for all parties to urgently collaborate and ensure that it becomes a reality.

“This project is of vital importance for our region, as increased access to natural gas will not only boost our electricity production/generation capacity, but will also drive economic, industrial, and agricultural growth across the region.

“As a transitional energy source, abundant natural gas usage in the region will support our countries in contributing to global climate change efforts, advancing clean and sustainable mobility, and promoting the use of clean cooking solutions,” he said.

Touray also urged member states to boost renewable energy, saying it was essential to develop strategies, initiatives, action plans, and regulatory frameworks to increase its share in the subregion’s energy mix.

“Currently, the use of renewable energy in our region is marginal, apart from hydroelectric sources, which themselves are underutilised, that is, only at 20 per cent.

“For us, the main challenges facing the ECOWAS region are the shortage of energy production capacity and the need to cover energy demand, as well as access issues.

“This Forum therefore provides an opportunity to take measures to strengthen our regional structures in the energy sector, each of which is experiencing its challenges,” the president said.

Also speaking, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Mr Ekperikpe Expo, said that the proposed African-Atlantic Gas Pipeline (AAGP) when operational will bolster Africa’s energy security and unlock new markets.

According to him, linking Nigeria’s natural gas reserves to North Africa and Europe would expand opportunities for economic growth, job creation, industrialisation, and benefiting communities across the linkage countries.

He described the AAGP as a crucial step toward achieving the vision of an integrated hydrocarbon and energy infrastructure within Africa and a reflection of ECOWAS’ strategic vision for a connected and economically vibrant pipeline network.

“The draft agreement is therefore an affirmation of our commitment to enhance trade within ECOWAS and other African countries, facilitating natural gas access across the region, and expansion in global gas markets,” he said.

NAN reports that AAGP is the outcome of the merging of West African Gas Pipeline Extension Project (WAGPEP) and Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project (NMGP) into a single gas power plant project.

The merger was approved by ECOWAS Heads of State and Government at their 63rd Ordinary Session on July 9, 2023. (NAN)

Edited by Sadiya Hamza

X
Welcome to NAN
Need help? Choose an option below and let me be your assistant.
Email SubscriptionSite SearchSend Us Email