National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it was committed to an integrated approach to dealing with challenges of substance use and mental health in the country. This involved supporting private sector organisations to tackle health challenges resulting from substance use.
The move came just as the agency said Nigeria had witnessed a sudden rise in substance use cutting across all segments of the population, including women.
Director-General of NDLEA, Brigadier General BubaMarwa (rtd), disclosed the position at the official launch of Olive Prime Adventurine, Abuja.
Marwa said there was a need to assist women battling with drug related health challenges.
He lamented that many women involved in drugs were facing stigma, gender-based violence and discrimination, trauma, threat of social exclusion, and fears of family separations, saying they need gender responsive services
Deputy Director at the Drug Demand Reduction Department of NDLEA, Muhammed Bashir Ibrahim, who represented the director-general, said the opening of the first only woman mental health and substance use rehabilitation centre in Nigeria was a significant milestone.
According to Marwa, the centre is unique in the sense that it is established to address the dual challenge of mental health and substance use disorder, particularly among the female folk.
He stated, “In recent years, Nigeria has witnessed a sudden rise in substance use cutting across all segments of our population including women.
“As chairman of NDLEA, I have witnessed first-hand the silence and often the invisible struggles of women battling drug addiction many of them are victims of stigma gender-based violence and discrimination, trauma, social exclusion, fears of family separation and lack of gender responsive services
Marwa also said setting up the rehabilitation centre had sent a strong message that the challenges and needs of women suffering from substance use disorder and mental health will no longer be overlooked.
He commended the vision and commitment of the management of OlivePrimeAdventurine for providing a gender sensitive and professionally guided facility, where women could recover and reclaim their lives with dignity
Marwa assured that NDLEA was fully committed to an integrated approach to drug control, encompassing prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and integration.
Speaking on the mission and objective of the centre, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Olive Prime Adventurine, Dr. Vincent Udenze, said the establishment of the facility was borne out of a desire to provide a specialist care for women facing mental health challenges resulting from depression and substance use
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