Dr. Daniel Amankwaah, Head of the Prevention and Drug Control Division at the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), expressed concern over the evolving drug situation in the West African region.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the capacity-building workshop for the Nigerian Epidemiological Network on Drug Use (NENDU) on Thursday, August 13, 2026, in Lagos, Nigeria, he noted that only reliable, updated, and comprehensive data will allow for an effective response to this situation. For him, an effective policy relies on reliable data.

To this end, he urged NENDU focal points, who play a key role in this regard, to put into practice the lessons and insights gained from this workshop on data collection, validation, and analysis.

“We expect to see a clear improvement in the quality and timeliness of the data Nigeria submits to WENDU. ECOWAS remains committed to supporting Nigeria and all Member States in strengthening their drug data systems. This is a step-by-step process that we will continue until all data sources are covered,” stated Dr. Amankwaah.

Regarding concrete measures that can be taken, he advocated for implementing low-hanging fruit actions, which focus on the following proposals to be submitted for ECOWAS’s consideration:

These include providing data collection equipment to support NENDU centers and supporting the expansion of this center network to include at least sixteen (16) neuropsychiatric hospitals, bringing the total number of centers to a minimum of twenty (20).

Speaking specifically about data collection, Mrs. Henrietta Bakura-Onyeneke, Director of the Narcotics and Drug Abuse Division at Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, noted that quality data forms the foundation of an effective national response to drug use and its associated harms.

“Let us leave this workshop with a renewed commitment to producing better data and stronger evidence, in order to drive more effective actions for the health and well-being of Nigerians,” she advised.

This was also the core message from Dr. Amina Z. Kazaure, Director in the Department of Hospital Services at the aforementioned ministry, who encouraged each participant to collect relevant data, verify its quality, submit accurate and timely reports, and use this information to support better decision-making.

“Let us continue to work together: treatment centers, the Federal Ministry of Health, ECOWAS, and other stakeholders. I am confident that this workshop has enhanced our knowledge and, most importantly, our commitment to improving drug use practices in Nigeria,” she stated.

She expressed her gratitude to the ECOWAS Commission for its continuous partnership and support, as well as for organizing the workshop.

This three-day (3) workshop was organized for NENDU focal points, professionals from Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and other key stakeholders responsible for drug data collection representing all geopolitical zones of the country.

Its primary objective was to strengthen the technical capacities of participants to ensure the production of high-quality drug use reports that support the development of evidence-based policies and drug prevention and control interventions across ECOWAS Member States.

It is worth recalling that NENDU’s mission is to improve data collection, analysis, and reporting on drug use trends in Nigeria.

It is an integral part of the West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (WENDU), established in 2013 by the ECOWAS Commission. This network serves as a regional mechanism for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating data on drug use and related issues across the regional organization’s Member States.