President Bola Tinubu says Nigeria will continue to strengthen collaboration and lead in taking measures towards countering terrorism in Africa.

Mr Tinubu said this at the high-level African counter-terrorism meeting on Monday in Abuja with the theme “Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Institution Building to Address the Evolving Threats of Terrorism in Africa.”

He said Nigeria’s counter-terrorism capacities have been enhanced through the enactment of the Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act and the establishment of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), which enhances capacity to detect, prevent, and respond to terrorist threats.

The president said the continent must, however, prudently handle the root causes of terrorism through good governance, rule of law, justice, and inclusiveness.

He said citizens must be assured of their safety through robust programmes and policies to eradicate the menace and build trust.

Mr Tinubu also decried the activities of illegal mining and terrorism financing on the continent, adding that it is a significant factor boosting the menace.

He said the international community has the moral and legal obligation to support Africa in its fight against external funding of terrorism.

The president also called for collective efforts against terrorism through fully operational regional counter-terrorism centres to serve as hubs for intelligence sharing, operational coordination, and capacity building within the region.

“Additionally, we must strengthen existing counter-terrorism structures, such as the Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit (RIFU) in Abuja, the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) in Algiers, and the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) in Addis Ababa.

“A regional standby force that includes tackling terrorism as part of its mandate must not be abandoned. I am mindful of the funding, legal, and logistical complexities that face the proper establishment of such a force,” he said.

He also called for the establishment of an all-inclusive African Union Ministerial Committee on Counter-terrorism, as envisaged in the declaration of the 16th Extraordinary Summit of the African Union Assembly in May 2022.

Amina Mohammed, UN deputy secretary general, urged African leaders to address the trust deficit among citizens through programmes and policies that include victims of violent extremism.

Ms Mohammed said women and youths are veritable tools for campaigns of terrorism and become ready tools when faced with bad governance, a lack of justice, a lack of transparency, and non-inclusion.

She added, “Victims of terrorism must be appropriately reintegrated into society through mental and psychological interventions as well as adequate recognition for them to overcome the trauma of their experiences at the hands of terrorists and other extreme violent actions.”

Ms Amina said that the women were more vulnerable to extremist activities on the continent and therefore required more attention for their physical and psychological health.

The event was attended by the presidents of Benin Republic, Patrice Talon; Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo; and Togo, Faure Gnassingbe.

(NAN)