To enhance the national approach to combating threats posed by violent extremism, the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), brought together stakeholders in the security sector for a two-day Workshop.
The Workshop holding at the NCTC between 12th to 13th February 2024, aims to examine and review the Policy Framework and National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE).
It will also serve as a guiding strategy for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, in tackling radicalization and violent extremism in Nigeria.
Addressing participants at the opening of the workshop, the National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Major General Adamu Laka, said violent extremism remains one of the most complex security challenges that threatens national security and the very fabric of communities, institutions, and social cohesion.
He said the gathering highlights the unified determination to enhance the Nation’s capacity to counter violent extremism and to ensure the seamless implementation of the Prevention and Countering of Violent Extremism strategies at every level of governance.
According to General Laka, the National Counter Terrorism Centre wants to ensure that deliberate and strategic steps are taken towards localizing and operationalizing the framework.
“Over the course of these 2 days, we will focus on 2 critical components that are central to the success of PCVE efforts in Nigeria. Firstly, the domestication and localization of the PF-NAP for PCVE. This will be done through exploring strategies to integrate PCVE principles into the operational frameworks of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, as well as at the state and local government levels. We will also identify existing gaps, challenges, and opportunities for institutionalizing PCVE efforts across various sectors.
“Secondly, the validation of the PCVE Guidelines and Strategic Communication Plan: We will conduct a thorough review of the draft PCVE Guidelines to ensure they align with national priorities, security realities, and international best practices.”
General Laka highlighted that Prevention and Countering of Violent Extremism is not solely a security issue but also a governance, development, and social cohesion issue, requiring a multi-faceted, multi-stakeholder, and multi-dimensional approach.
This he said depends on the coordination of efforts, synergy of policies, and harmonization of strategies at all levels.
The deliberations are expected to yield a clear roadmap for the localization of the policy framework, validated Prevention and Countering of Violent Extremism Guidelines, and an endorsed Strategic Communication Plan, to serve as blueprints for future implementation.
It would be recalled that in 2017, about eight years ago, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Policy Framework And National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism.
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