The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has called for a stronger focus on rehabilitation, empathy and professional intervention in addressing substance misuse, warning against the continued stigmatisation and criminalisation of persons affected by substance-use disorders.
The call was made in Abuja during a two-day capacity-building training organised by the Hope Gilead Recovery Foundation (HGRF), in partnership with the NCoS Headquarters, for selected correctional officers.
The training, themed “Understanding Substance Misuse and Behavioural Rehabilitation Using the Eben Integrated Model,” is designed to equip officers with the skills to identify, manage, and respond to substance misuse and withdrawal among inmates while applying behavioural rehabilitation strategies.
Speaking at the programme, the Deputy Comptroller of Corrections in charge of Mental Health and Psychological Services, Velu Alagoa, said persons who use substances were often wrongly perceived as irresponsible or deserving of criminalisation, when many were in fact suffering from disorders requiring professional help.
She stressed that empathy must remain central to the work of professionals involved in the treatment and rehabilitation of persons affected by substance misuse.
According to her, empathy enables professionals to understand an individual’s experience, challenges and problems without being judgmental, thereby creating a better foundation for effective therapy and behavioural change.
“People see persons who use substances as people who are irresponsible, and usually they stigmatise them and feel they should be criminalised. That is not supposed to be. They are people who are suffering from disorders, just like people who suffer from hypertension and every other ailment, and they need help,” she said.
Alagoa explained that therapy must address the different dimensions of an individual’s life, particularly the cognitive and emotional domains, with the ultimate objective of helping the person become better equipped for reintegration into society.
She called on the government to provide stronger support for professionals working in behavioural health and rehabilitation through improved policies, training, remuneration and other forms of institutional support.
She also advocated exchange programmes that would enable Nigerian professionals to study successful rehabilitation models in other countries and adapt relevant practices to the Nigerian correctional system.
Representing the Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche, the Assistant Controller General of Corrections, Pharmacist Mohamed Bashir, said the training was consistent with the Service’s statutory mandate of reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration.
Bashir said effective correctional intervention must address the cognitive, psychomotor and affective dimensions of inmates in order to achieve sustainable behavioural change.
He said the knowledge gained from the training would strengthen the ability of correctional officers to understand the behavioural factors affecting inmates and improve efforts to reform them for successful reintegration into society.
While acknowledging that the correctional rehabilitation system remained a work in progress, Bashir said the NCoS was prepared to strengthen partnerships and adopt programmes capable of improving its rehabilitation framework.
“We are not where we are supposed to be, but we are actually far from where we were. With these lectures, we are very much in line and in tune, and we believe that with the facilities we have, we are ready to key into whatever programmes are available,” he said.
Also speaking, the Consultant Mental Health, Substance Misuse and Public Health Pharmacist, Pharm. Barikpoar Ebenezer described substance misuse as a growing public health challenge requiring urgent and coordinated intervention.
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Ebenezer said research indicated that substance misuse in Nigeria was significantly higher than the global average, warning that its consequences could extend beyond individual health to broader social and public safety concerns.
He therefore called for a shift from purely punitive responses to a comprehensive approach combining prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration.
A participant at the training, a Chief Superintendent of Corrections from the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Minna, said the programme had improved officers’ understanding of the signs, symptoms and behavioural patterns associated with substance misuse.
The officer said the training had also provided practical approaches for managing affected inmates, calming behavioural crises and educating inmates on the dangers and consequences of substance misuse.
The two-day training, which began on Friday and ends on Saturday, is expected to strengthen the capacity of correctional officers to identify substance-related challenges and apply evidence-informed behavioural rehabilitation strategies within custodial facilities.
Esther Ososanya is an investigative journalist with Pinnacle Daily, reporting across health, business, environment, metro, Fct and crime. Known for her bold, empathetic storytelling, she uncovers hidden truths, challenges broken systems, and gives voice to overlooked Nigerians. Her work drives national conversations and demands accountability one powerful story at a time.