The Federal Government has appealed for inclusive collaboration among various Security and Response Agencies, as well as Civil Society Organisations (NGOs) in Nigeria to Prevent and Counter Violent Extremism and terrorism by leveraging on Information Communication Technology (ICT).
The Coordinator, Counter Terrorism Centre (CCTC) Commodore YEM Musa made this appeal recently in Abuja while giving his keynote address at a One-Day Workshop organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN) under the Partnership against Violent Extremism (PAVE).
The workshop, with the theme “Enhancing the use of ICT in Counter-Terrorism Policy and Practice” was geared towards assisting Security and Response Agencies in the country to better track, monitor and collect data to enhance public safety and security through existing national policies like National Security Strategy (NSS) and National Counter-Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST).
The Coordinator who was represented by Head Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism Unit, Mrs Catherine Udida, stated that like every developed nation in the world, the country is faced with evolving security issues that continue to challenge government mandates. Adding that Government is implementing key reforms and strategies on public security and policy, some of which include: The National Security Strategy (NSS) 2014, the National Counter-terrorism Strategy (NACTEST 2016) and the National Cyber Security Strategy 2014.
Speaking earlier, the Executive Director, Partner West Africa Nigeria, Mrs. Kemi Okenyodo in her welcome address stated that the workshop was organised as part of her organisation’s Citizens Security Programme area in furtherance of Promoting Informed Dialogue on Security (PRIDES) project. She called for more collaboration and corporation among Security and Response Agencies in the country.
On his part, the Crisis Response Lead at the British High Commission in Nigeria, Mr Micheal Ashew stressed the need for various government agencies to work together and share information, in order to have safer and secured environments, as only one organization could not proffer solutions to all the security problems confronting the nation.