By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
Nigeria’s National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser, has been formally recognised as a Regional Centre of Excellence for West Africa and the Sahel.
This was announced by Idriss Mounir Lallali, Acting Director of the African Union Counter Terrorism Centre (AUCTC), at the recently concluded African Lessons Learned Forum, held at the NCTC, Office of the National Security Adviser, in Abuja.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had, in April 2024, declared the Centre a Regional Centre of Excellence for West Africa and the Sahel at the High-Level African Counter-Terrorism Meeting held in Abuja.
The declaration positions the NCTC as a regional hub for strengthening intelligence sharing, operational coordination, specialised training, and capacity building in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
The accreditation marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s contribution to collective African security, formally positioning the Centre to support African Union member states, particularly across West Africa and the Sahel, through enhanced counter-terrorism cooperation and institutional capacity development.
