*Reiterates calls for international collaboration, intelligence sharing
Linus Aleke in Abuja
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has urged African leaders to take the lead in developing local solutions to combat terrorism and other emerging security threats across the continent.
Ribadu also reiterated the need for stronger global and regional cooperation, intelligence sharing and the responsible use of emerging technologies to combat terrorism and violent extremism in Africa.
Speaking at the High-Level African Lessons Learned Forum on Counter-Terrorism Cooperation, Intelligence Sharing and Emerging Technologies in Abuja on Monday, the NSA stressed that no country could effectively tackle transnational terrorist networks in isolation, given their ability to operate across borders, communicate through digital platforms and finance their activities through international channels.
He said terrorist groups were exploiting porous borders, local grievances, illicit financial networks, digital platforms and online radicalisation to expand their operations across the continent.
Ribadu noted that Nigeria’s experience over the past 15 years had shown that military operations alone could not provide a sustainable solution to terrorism.
He said the country had continued to pursue a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to counter-terrorism and the prevention and countering of violent extremism.
According to him, “Our partners remain important, and we value their continued support. However, sustainable solutions must be rooted in African ownership, African priorities, African institutions and the lived experiences of our communities.
“While security operations remain necessary, they must be complemented by intelligence coordination, law enforcement, financial intelligence, justice, strategic communications, prevention, rehabilitation, reintegration, reconciliation, community resilience, education, youth engagement, research, training and technology-enabled analysis.”
He also highlighted the growing influence of artificial intelligence, encrypted platforms, drones and synthetic media on the security landscape, noting that although terrorist groups could exploit these technologies, they also offered opportunities for early warning, threat analysis, digital investigations, border security and the protection of vulnerable communities.
“Our task is to ensure that technology is used responsibly, lawfully and effectively in support of peace and security,” he said.
Similarly, the United Nations (UN) Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, called for stronger intelligence sharing, public trust and the responsible use of emerging technologies to strengthen Africa’s fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
Speaking virtually, Mohammed said terrorism continued to devastate families and communities across Nigeria’s North-East, the Lake Chad Basin, the Sahel and parts of East and Southern Africa.
“In Nigeria, we know the cost of this scourge, the toll it is taking on families and communities across the North-East and the Lake Chad Basin,” she said.
She added that the violence was claiming lives, displacing communities, disrupting economic activities and undermining development in vulnerable areas.
She also cautioned that military operations alone would not end terrorism, urging governments to complement security measures with rehabilitation, reintegration, justice and community support.
The Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Cheikh Touré, also called for African-led counter-terrorism strategies, warning that terrorist groups were increasingly exploiting cross-border networks, organised crime and emerging technologies.
Touré said Africa had become a major centre of global terrorism, with the Sahel accounting for more than half of all terrorism-related deaths worldwide.
He noted that four of the five countries responsible for nearly 70 per cent of global terrorism deaths in the previous year were African: Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“In the past decade, terrorism has gained a foothold in Africa that few of us would have predicted,” he said.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the National Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Major General Adamu Laka, said the forum was designed to enable African countries to share experiences, identify effective strategies and strengthen cooperation against terrorism.
Laka said terrorist groups were increasingly exploiting technology, illicit financial flows, corruption and criminal networks to advance their activities.
He stressed that military action must be complemented by prevention, rehabilitation, reintegration, criminal justice and community resilience.