To further boost the capacity of various stakeholders in Nigeria to respond to the threats posed by terrorists and other violent extremists groups, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with the Global Coalition against Daesh/ISIS held a Strategic Communications Workshop in Abuja on 28th September, 2022.
In his opening remarks, the National Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in the Office of the National Security Adviser, Rear Admiral YEM Musa (rtd) assured that the Government of Nigeria would always be ready to support all efforts at tackling terrorism, Terrorism Financing, the flow of foreign terrorist fighters across borders, as well as all threats to the economic and political stability of the country.
The National Coordinator who was represented by the Head Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Directorate at NCTC, Mrs. Mairo Musa Abbas, also expressed delight that the Coalition was committed to exposing the falsehoods that lie at the heart of terrorists’ ideology, and to present a positive, alternative future for the region. He noted that it was in line with the nation’s response to counter and provide an alternative narrative to the violent extremists’ propaganda over the years.
In his remarks, the U.S. Deputy Envoy to the Global Coalition Douglas Hoyt spoke with appreciation for the government of Nigeria’s efforts to support the Coalition’s Africa Focus Group as an effective platform for assistance coordination and engagement. He said also that this communications workshop was a critical step in countering the ISIS ideology and narrative.
Participants were drawn from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Nigeria including the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and representatives of the Coalition partners from the United States and United Kingdom to describe best practice in counter terrorism strategic communications.