Abuja: Nigeria is enhancing its counterterrorism efforts by revising its National Strategy. The Coordinator of National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, made this known during a high-level workshop to review and validate the revised National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST).
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the NACTEST was first developed in 2015 and revised in 2016 and had guided the national efforts in the fight against terrorism for nearly a decade. Laka said that the revised NACTEST aims to strengthen the country’s approach to preventing and combating terrorism, particularly addressing the root causes of violent extremism and improving inter-agency coordination. He emphasized the need for a comprehensive update of this strategy to incorporate both new threats and hard-won operational lessons.
Laka highlighted that the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of the security landscape necessitates a comprehensive review and update of the strategy. He noted that this revision is crucial to reflect emerging threats, evolving tactics of terrorist organizations, and invaluable lessons learned from past counterterrorism operations. The revised draft of NACTEST has been consolidated after expert reviews and contributions from several stakeholders’ meetings.
The review process included valuable inputs from a broad range of stakeholders across Ministries, Departments, Agencies, civil society organizations, and international partners. These diverse perspectives were instrumental in producing a robust and inclusive draft strategy, fully aligned with international best practices. Laka mentioned that the timing of the review is significant as the centre transitions into a Regional Centre of Excellence for Counterterrorism in West Africa and the Sahel, following the declaration by President Bola Tinubu.
Laka stressed the importance of producing a strategy that meets Nigeria’s needs and sets a benchmark for the region. The workshop was designed to ensure active participation and collective ownership of the revised strategy. He emphasized the foundational pillars of the country’s counterterrorism approach: the Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society strategies, which highlight that terrorism is not only a security challenge but also a social and ideological one.
In his remarks, the Director, Policy and Strategy, NCTC, Commodore Ahmad Madawaki, stated that significant progress had been made in developing the counterterrorism strategy through a collaborative approach. Madawaki explained that the approach is built on the two fundamental pillars of Whole-of-Government and Whole of Society. The Whole-of-Government approach ensures coordinated, comprehensive, and effective counter-terrorism efforts, while the Whole of Society approach engages communities, civil society organizations, and the private sector in building trust and promoting social cohesion.
Madawaki underscored the need for the strategy to meet legal and international requirements, including human rights, gender, and humanitarian law. He emphasized the incorporation of all national, regional, and international legislations related to terrorism. The strategy must address current security challenges and ensure clarity in the roles and responsibilities of all ministries, departments, and agencies concerning its implementation.
