August 2024
From 26 to 28 August 2024, UNODC Country Office in Nigeria (CONIG), in coordination with the Kaduna State Bureau for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (KADBUSA) and UNODC Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section (PTRS), organised a Case Care Management Workshop in the framework of Treatment and Care for People with Drug Use Disorder in Contact with the Criminal Justice System: Alternatives to Conviction or Punishment (ATI) initiative in Kaduna, Nigeria. With the aim of supporting the country’s effort to strengthen multi-sectorial collaboration in providing ATI, UNODC supported capacity-building efforts of professionals in the health, justice, and social services sectors that work with people with drug use disorder (PWDUD) in contact with the criminal justice system to be diverted from the criminal justice system and provide increased access to evidence-based and quality treatment and care. The workshop took place at the demonstration site for the national ATI programme in Kaduna, with 30 participants mainly from KADBUSA, including representatives from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
While the prevalence of cannabis use is high in Nigeria (nearly 10% in 2022), the non-medical use of pharmaceutical opioids or synthetic drugs, such as tramadol, has increased (World Drug Report 2024). Interviews conducted in Nigeria indicated that the respondents from law enforcement agencies in Nigeria mentioned the desire to cope with trauma, especially in regions affected by Boko Haram, as a motive for the non-medical use of tramadol[1]. Prescription drugs, such as Tramadol, are easily available and increasingly used in the region1. It is also worth noting that, in Africa, drug use or possession for use accounted for more than two-thirds of total drug offences among people in formal contact with the police in 20221.
In order to address these drug-related problems, Nigeria, jointly with UNODC, embarked on joining the UNODC/WHO initiative on “Treatment and Care for People with Drug Use Disorders in Contact with the Criminal Justice System: Alternatives to Conviction or Punishment” to enhance options for non-custodial alternatives measures, specifically for people with drug use disorders in contact with the criminal justice system in appropriate cases of a minor nature in 2022. So far, the Alternatives to Incarceration: For Individuals with Substance Use and Behavioural Health Disorders[2] training has been provided for policymakers from different sectors, reportedly contributing to enhanced understanding about the topic among the stakeholders, as well as reduced stigma around drug use and drug use disorders.
Building on the previous ATI efforts, the Case Care Management Workshop[3] aimed at promoting the understanding among the participants from different sectors about the components of case care management[4] models and its benefits to ultimately improve access to drug use disorder treatment and care in the community, including for people in contact with the Criminal Justice System. With the additional knowledge gained on implementing a network of coordinated services for PWDUDs, the workshop trained professionals to work with people in contact with the justice system, guiding them on their path toward recovery and social integration, lowering recidivism and improving quality of life, and therefore enhancing public health and public security. Participants requested to have additional training after this workshop, especially on the screening for drug use or the assessment of PWDUDs. Participants also discussed connecting different sectors, such as justice, health and social services, to make treatment and care for PWDUDs more accessible in Kaduna State. One participant also said that they were “excited to become a case care manager since the concept of case care management is new in Kaduna”.
For Case Care Management, various services are needed as aforementioned, and in this regard, site visits took place to better understand the availability of health and social services in the community. Visits were organised to the Ungwan Kanawa Primary Health Center, a community outpatient treatment centre, and the Ungwan Sari KADBUSA drop-in centre. Both centres are run by KADBUSA. Visits were also made to the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital Barnawa in the southern part of Kaduna State, including a Drug Addiction Treatment Education and Research (DATER) ward. The DATER ward of the hospital is a model drug dependence treatment centre and regional training hub which was supported through UNODC and the European Union as part of the “Response to Drugs and Related Organized Crime in Nigeria (2013-2017)”[5]. Furthermore, the hospital has a ward offering vocational training for people with drug use disorders for a sustained recovery approach. Additionally, a community-based centre that offers prevention activities for children and youths who are out of school in Rigasa was visited. Rigasa is a densely populated area, with people below the age of 14 being the majority of its population[6], located close to Kaduna City. Kaduna has an extremely high rate of children and youth out of school, and Rigasa, in particular, is affected. KADBUSA managed to collaborate with both and include relevant professionals from the court and police station in the sensitization of the “Kaduna ATI Initiative”. A visit took place to KADBUSA’s Community Behavioral Center, which is about to be launched, in close coordination with members of the community, including PWDUDs.
With many thanks to KADBUSA, courtesy visits were organised, such as to The Office of the Chief Judge of Kaduna State, The office of the Honorable Commissioner of Health of Kaduna State, The office of the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State and the Rigasa District Head’s office. Strong commitment and support was expressed for the implementation of the “Kaduna ATI Initiative’ by these high-level policymakers. The existing collaboration between these sectors supported the introduction of ATI in Kaduna State.
This workshop was conducted with many thanks to the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (US/INL) for their financial support. UNODC continuously works along with Member States to enhance the provision of evidence- and human rights-based treatment and care services for people with drug use disorders in line with the UNODC/WHO International Standards for the Treatment of Drug Use Disorders, including in the criminal justice system.
For more information on UNODC/WHO initiative on Treatment and Care for People with Drug Use Disorders in Contact with the Criminal Justice System: Alternatives to Conviction or Punishment, please contact
unodc-ptrs@un.org and/or unodc-healthandjustice@un.org
Links:
To know more about the Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section, click here.
To know more about treatment and care as alternatives to conviction or punishment for people with drug use disorders in contact with the criminal justice system:
[1] World Drug Report 2024
[2] UTC 81: The Alternatives To Incarceration (ATI). https://www.issup.net/training/universal-treatment-curriculum/utc-81-alternatives-incarceration-ati
[3] UTC 82: Case Care Management (CCM). https://www.issup.net/training/universal-treatment-curriculum/utc-82-case-care-management-ccm
[4] Specialized Case Management refers to elements of clinical care within the justice system, creating a service plan with the participant and facilitating linkages to treatment and re-entry services according to participants’ needs.
[5] Evaluation Brief: Response to drugs and related organized crime in Nigeria, 2023. https://teams.microsoft.com/l/message/19:1c9631c4-7596-41e6-bd14-b86b497acb29_4859f2d9-5c63-4a7c-ac9d-04348683d3b4@unq.gbl.spaces/1731317497180?context=%7B%22contextType%22%3A%22chat%22%7D
[6] Urban Change in a Northern Nigeria City: Kaduna 1965-2015, 2016. https://teams.microsoft.com/l/message/19:1c9631c4-7596-41e6-bd14-b86b497acb29_4859f2d9-5c63-4a7c-ac9d-04348683d3b4@unq.gbl.spaces/1731318367553?context=%7B%22contextType%22%3A%22chat%22%7D
