The United States government, in collaboration with the United Nations, has launched a joint training programme for drug enforcement officers from Nigeria and nine other West African countries to strengthen the fight against transnational drug trafficking.

The programme, implemented through the United States Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), involved officers of Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and their regional counterparts.

According to a statement from the United States Mission in Nigeria on Friday, the training focused on improving operational capacity in areas such as dismantling clandestine drug laboratories and enhancing investigative techniques.

The mission said the hands-on programme was designed to strengthen intelligence-sharing and deepen cooperation among West African drug enforcement agencies to disrupt criminal networks operating across borders.

Officials noted that the initiative aims to improve the ability of participating countries to intercept illicit drugs at source and reduce their spread across West Africa and beyond.

The US further stated that the collaboration seeks to make both West Africa and the United States safer by targeting drug cartels and transnational trafficking routes that affect communities on both continents.

The programme brought together enforcement officers from Nigeria and nine other West African nations as part of broader international efforts to combat drug-related crimes and strengthen regional security cooperation.