NCTC Hosts AU Ambassadors, Reaffirms Africa’s United Front Against Terrorism

The National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), operating under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), on Friday, November 7, 2025, hosted a high-level delegation of African Union (AU) Ambassadors and security experts in Abuja. The engagement marked a significant step in strengthening Africa’s collective resolve against terrorism.

The delegation, led by the AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, was in Nigeria as part of the AU Sub-Committee on Peace and Security Capacity Building Workshop held earlier in the week.

Welcoming the team, the National Coordinator of the NCTC, Major General Adamu Laka—representing the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu—described the visit as a milestone in regional security cooperation. He emphasized the NCTC’s vital role, established under the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022, in coordinating Nigeria’s counterterrorism and terrorism financing efforts through a “whole-of-government and whole-of-society” approach.

Major General Laka also highlighted Nigeria’s steady progress in promoting justice and accountability under the leadership of the National Security Adviser, revealing that 775 convictions have been secured in terrorism-related cases across eight phases. He described this achievement as “a testament to Nigeria’s commitment to the rule of law and the fight against impunity.”

Looking ahead, he announced that the NCTC will soon unveil its Strategic Plan 2025–2030, alongside a revised National Counter Terrorism Strategy and an updated National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism before the end of the year—initiatives designed to chart a new course for national and regional counterterrorism coordination.

General Laka also showcased the Centre’s advanced facilities, including forensic and DNA laboratories, cyber intelligence units, and command systems, all aimed at enhancing intelligence sharing and operational efficiency.

Recalling the April 2024 Africa Counter Terrorism Summit and the resulting Abuja Declaration, he noted that the designation of the NCTC as a Regional Centre of Excellence for Counterterrorism reaffirmed Nigeria’s leadership role in promoting peace and security across West Africa and the Sahel.

In his remarks, Ambassador Bankole Adeoye commended Nigeria’s leadership and the NCTC’s exemplary contribution to advancing Africa’s counterterrorism framework. He disclosed that the African Standby Force is being operationalised to support counterterrorism operations at regional levels and that ongoing lesson-sharing initiatives will continue to strengthen Africa’s collective security and peace enforcement mechanisms.

The visit, which brought together AU Ambassadors, security experts, and senior Nigerian officials, reaffirmed Nigeria’s central role in shaping Africa’s counterterrorism landscape and underscored the continent’s shared vision of defeating extremism through unity, innovation, and cooperation.

Zainab Uzomah
Defence Correspondent