Development and Piloting of Workplace Substance Use Prevention, Management and Policy Training Manual in Nigeria

There has been growing need to improve the capacity of drug demand reduction practitioners to deliver substance use prevention interventions in different settings, especially in the workplace. This paper reports the findings from the pilot phase of the implementation of a training manual on substance use prevention, management and policy in the workplace in Nigeria. The aims of this study were to consider the feasibility of implementing a training manual for workplace substance use prevention, management and policy interventions in Nigeria; determine whether training objectives were met; assess trainer proficiency; and identify gaps for improvement. Instruments included a pre-post knowledge assessment developed by the author and a post-training survey adapted from the UPC manual that included several open-ended questions and a trainer proficiency survey. Participants were 40 attendees of a three-day training programme, drawn from a wide range of disciplinary and professional backgrounds. The training was conducted in Nigeria by Global Initiative on Substance Abuse (GISA). Participants completed both the pre and post-test survey. The mean difference between baseline scores and those observed following training demonstrate objective gains in foundational knowledge. The results were statistically significant (p< .001) and the effect size was large (1.866). All participants agreed that the training manual was implemented as designed, objectives met and that the course is relevant to their practice with an average rating of between 4.3 and 4.8 on a maximum scale of 5. All facilitators were ranked “proficient” (> 76%) in subject knowledge, ability to engage participants in the learning process, supervision of the training environment, time management, and demeanor. Participants universally agreed that the training was relevant, and findings provide preliminary evidence of feasibility and acceptability, and suggest that the manual can enhance foundational knowledge in workplace substance use prevention, management and policy in Nigeria.