Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka of Nigeria’s National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and Dr. Usman Hussain from the African Union Counter Terrorism Centre (AUCTC) have called for a major change in tackling violent extremism in the Lake Chad Basin. Speaking at a senior-level workshop in Abuja, they warned that despite military efforts, terrorist groups continue to expand their influence across Africa.
Maj.-Gen. Laka emphasized that military and law enforcement alone can’t bring lasting peace. Instead, solutions must address the root causes of extremism—economic, political, social, cultural, and ideological—through people-centered prevention like dialogue, community resilience, gender inclusion, and education.
The Lake Chad region has suffered from conflict, displacement, and crime for over a decade, and reversing this requires cooperation from the AU, ECOWAS, ECCAS, and the UN. Nigeria’s own efforts, such as the National Action Plan on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE), data improvements, and reintegration programs, serve as a regional model. The NCTC was also recognized as a Regional Centre of Excellence for Counterterrorism in West Africa and the Sahel after the 2024 Africa Counter-Terrorism Summit.
Dr. Hussain highlighted that terrorism is now endemic in Africa, with groups like Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Al-Shabaab spreading across regions. He pointed to successful regional strategies but encouraged others to accelerate efforts, praising IGAD’s model PCVE strategy.
Both officials urged stronger coordination, innovative thinking, and resource sharing among Lake Chad Basin states to build a unified plan against violent extremism.
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