President set to unveil updated security blueprint
President Bola Tinubu will in October unveil Nigeria’s revised National Counter-Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST), a major security policy overhaul designed to tackle evolving threats, including extremist violence, cyber-terrorism, and new insurgent tactics.
The announcement was made in Abuja by the National Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Major General Adamu Laka, during the third-quarter stakeholders’ meeting of NACTEST.
Laka confirmed that the revised document has been finalised after an intensive review process that began in February 2025 and has now been forwarded to the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for approval.
Review shaped by emerging threats
According to Laka, the review became necessary as terrorism in Nigeria and the wider Sahel continues to adapt to new realities, including:
- Shifting insurgent tactics, such as the use of improvised technologies and hit-and-run strategies.
- Exploitation of social and economic vulnerabilities, especially in fragile communities.
- Increased use of digital tools and cyber platforms for radicalisation, propaganda, and recruitment.
He emphasised that the revised strategy incorporates feedback from nationwide consultations, validation sessions, and technical workshops that involved government ministries, security agencies, civil society organisations, the private sector, academia, religious leaders, and international partners.
Five work streams of the strategy
The new framework, Laka explained, will be driven through five key pillars:
- Prevent – countering radicalisation and addressing root causes of extremism.
- Protect – strengthening infrastructure and critical assets.
- Identify – enhancing intelligence gathering and threat detection.
- Prepare – ensuring resilience in communities and institutions.
- Implement – translating the strategy into coordinated, actionable measures.
He said:
The true measure of success lies in faithful implementation. The strategy can only succeed if we collectively own it and translate its provisions into practical, coordinated actions.
Nigeria’s regional leadership role
Nigeria’s counter-terrorism role in West Africa and the Sahel gives the revised strategy a broader regional significance, Laka noted.
As the National Counter Terrorism Centre consolidates its position as a Regional Centre of Excellence for Counterterrorism, the success of this strategy has implications far beyond our borders. Nigeria is being looked upon for leadership, coordination, and innovation in combating violent extremism.
An inclusive and society-driven approach
NCTC Director of Policy and Strategy, Commodore Ahmad Madawaki, further explained that the document was developed using both the “Whole of Government” and “Whole of Society” approaches championed by President Tinubu.
This, he said, ensured broad participation from ministries, departments, civil society groups, faith-based leaders, and international development partners.
“Hopefully, the next invite you will get from us is the formal launch of the revised strategy sometime in October by Mr President. After that, we will reconvene as stakeholders to draw up an implementation plan for the NACTEST,” Madawaki noted.
What next?
The October launch is expected to mark the beginning of a new phase in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism fight. Analysts say the challenge will not only be in unveiling the document but in ensuring consistent implementation, adequate funding, and community buy-in across Nigeria’s most vulnerable regions.
