Abuja: Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to addressing emerging technology-driven terrorism threats in partnership with the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN), and Interpol. The National Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC-ONSA), Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, reiterated this on Monday in Abuja at the opening of the second national workshop under the CT-Tech Plus Initiative.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, CT-Tech, the Counter-Terrorism Technologies Initiative, is a UN-led program aimed at helping countries deal with the misuse of emerging technologies by terrorists, while also ensuring human rights and the rule of law. Laka stated that the workshop was focused on assessing threats stemming from the use of new technologies for terrorist purposes and developing national counter-terrorism policies and operational responses.
He expressed appreciation to the UN Office of Counter-terrorism, the UN Counter-terrorism Centre, Interpol, and the EU for their steadfast support and collaboration with Nigeria in the fight against terrorism. Laka highlighted that the CT-Tech Plus initiative is a two-year joint program of the UN Office of Counter-terrorism, the UN Counter-terrorism Centre, and Interpol funded by the EU, designed to support partner states in addressing the evolving risks posed by terrorists’ exploitation of emerging technologies.
The coordinator noted that the workshop built on the success of the first national workshop on Nigeria’s law enforcement capabilities for new technologies in counter-terrorism, held in July. He emphasized Nigeria’s recognition of the urgent need to anticipate, assess, and mitigate threats from digital platforms, encryption, unmanned systems, and artificial intelligence increasingly exploited by terrorist groups.
Laka commended the wide representation of stakeholders, including policymakers, security and law enforcement agencies, criminal justice actors, regulators, and subject matter experts. He stated that the inclusiveness reflects Nigeria’s whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to counter-terrorism, encouraging participants to contribute actively to the workshop.
Speaking on behalf of the Head of the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Zissimos Vergos, Charg© d’Affaires of the EU Delegation to Nigeria, reiterated the EU’s firm stance with Nigeria and other partners in addressing ‘the most asymmetric war’ facing global, regional, and national security. Vergos emphasized that the threat of terrorism impacts not only security but also economies, democracy, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, highlighting the importance of international cooperation.
Vergos mentioned that the EU’s counter-terrorism approach is rooted in doctrines of prevention, protection, prosecution, response, as well as counter-radicalization and the fight against violent extremism. He acknowledged that technological advances have increased vulnerabilities, allowing individuals with the right skills to cause catastrophic damage using digital tools. However, he commended Nigeria’s progress in building counter-terrorism and cyber capabilities, citing the establishment of the National Cybercrime Centre, the Army Cyber Defence Unit, and the NCTC’s in-house expertise.
Similarly, Ms. Kimairis Toogood, Peace and Development Advisor, Office of the UN Resident Coordinator, urged Nigeria and its partners to adopt new technologies in counter-terrorism efforts responsibly and in full compliance with human rights standards. Toogood mentioned that the initiative would ‘strengthen Nigeria’s law enforcement framework to counter the misuse of technology by terrorists while upholding the rule of law and protecting fundamental rights.’
She added that the threats posed by the misuse of technology are evolving faster than the ability of national and global institutions to respond, presenting serious challenges to law enforcement and security agencies worldwide. Toogood noted that new and emerging technologies hold transformative potential for development and human rights, yet the same tools, such as artificial intelligence, encrypted communication, and virtual assets, are increasingly exploited by terrorists for recruitment, radicalization, financing, and attacks.