Omotayo Adigun
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has made a significant investment in drug treatment and rehabilitation services within Nigeria, specifically through the renovation and expansion of a treatment center at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) in Kano State.
This initiative underscores the organization’s commitment to addressing the growing drug abuse crisis across the West African region.
The enhanced facility, particularly the Dater Ward extension for Occupational Therapy, was officially handed over to AKTH management on Thursday, March 27, 2025. Dr. Daniel Akwasi Amankwaah, Principal Programme Officer of the ECOWAS Drug Prevention and Control Division, presented the facility’s keys to Prof. Abdulrahman Abba Sheshe, Chief Medical Director of AKTH, during a ceremony attended by hospital personnel and key stakeholders.
ECOWAS emphasized the necessity of collaborative efforts to effectively counter drug abuse, highlighting the issue’s cross-border nature and the need for a unified regional strategy.
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Dr. Sintiki Ugbe, ECOWAS Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs, represented by Dr. Amankwaah, reiterated the organization’s dedication to supporting member states in strengthening drug demand reduction initiatives and improving access to evidence-based treatment for individuals with drug use disorders (PWUDs).
Data from the West African Epidemiology Network on Drug Use (WENDU) indicates a worrisome increase in drug use, which is not matched by a corresponding rise in treatment facilities. To address this discrepancy, ECOWAS has actively pursued the renovation and expansion of drug rehabilitation centers throughout the region. Since 2019, ECOWAS has successfully completed eight treatment centers across six countries, with 12 more currently in progress. Within Nigeria, four centers, including the AKTH facility, have been completed, and three others are underway.
The newly renovated Dater Ward extension at AKTH is designed to provide comprehensive care for PWUDs, focusing on enhancing their social functioning and overall well-being.
The Kano State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), CN Abubakar Ahmad Idris, and AKTH’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Abdulrahman Sheshe, both expressed their appreciation for ECOWAS’s intervention, acknowledging its substantial impact on drug rehabilitation efforts in the region.