By Solomon OKPO
ABUJA, The National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, has emphasized that effective prevention of violent extremism in Nigeria must be rooted in local ownership and multi-dimensional strategies that address the root causes of radicalization.
Speaking at the opening of the maiden National Summit on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) held Thursday in Abuja, Laka highlighted the need to move beyond militarized responses and embrace inclusive development as a core tool for peacebuilding.
Represented by the Director of Policy and Strategy, Commodore Ahmad Madawaki, Laka stressed that security efforts must be rights-respecting, community-led, and well-coordinated across all levels of government and society.
“Violent extremism cannot be solved by one institution acting alone,” he said. “It is a collective effort that requires clear policies, strong evidence, and humility to learn from communities who are the first line of defence.”
He identified unemployment, climate stress, and exclusion as key drivers of vulnerability to extremist ideologies, warning that poor coordination and limited funding at the sub-national level were major barriers to progress. Additionally, he raised concerns over porous borders, transnational militant networks, and the growing influence of online radicalisation.
Laka urged collaboration among government agencies, civil society, development partners, and the private sector to invest in long-term community resilience, particularly through youth empowerment, job creation, and improved governance.
“Participants must be bold in recommendations, practical in commitments and accountable in follow-through,” he added.
Also speaking at the summit, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu, noted that inclusiveness and climate adaptation are central to defeating extremism in Nigeria and across the Sahel.
He said that shrinking economic opportunities and socio-political exclusion had created fertile ground for extremist ideologies to take root, especially in conflict-prone areas.
Bagudu referenced the Renewed Hope Agenda, a Federal Government initiative aimed at deepening inclusion and development at the grassroots, through a new ward-based development programme targeting all 8,809 wards in the country.
“Community resilience, historically and today, remains the biggest defence against violent extremism,” he said. “Extremism feeds on exclusion, and only by working together can we build peace, growth and sustainability.”
Experts Call for Innovation and Whole-of-Society Response
Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, warned that violent extremism is evolving.
