Akpabio unveils Nigeria’s five-year counter-terrorism plan

Senate President Godswill Akpabio formally unveiled Nigeria’s counter-terrorism strategic plan 2025–2030 on Monday.

The plan was developed by the National Counter-Terrorism Centre in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

In his keynote address, Akpabio said the occasion was not merely the launch of a policy document but a defining moment in the country’s national journey.

“It is a moment when Nigeria again reaffirms that our people deserve to live without fear, that our children deserve a future of peace, and that our nation must be secured to prosper,” he said.

Akpabio said every generation faces a fundamental question that history requires it to answer.

“For ours, the question is clear: How do we secure our nation, safeguard our people and set Nigeria irreversibly on the path of peace, growth and stability?” he asked.

He said the plan provides a framework for transforming institutions, modernising the security architecture, strengthening national resilience and expanding partnerships across government, industry, civil society and the international community.

Akpabio said insecurity weakened the foundations of development, with investors withdrawing, schools shutting down, farmers abandoning their fields, and hope retreating from the hearts of young people.

The ex-Akwa Ibom governor said the plan is timely because it is pragmatic, forward-looking and implementation-driven.

He submitted that the legislature has a constitutional responsibility to provide legal, budgetary and oversight support to security institutions.

The senate president added that the 10th national assembly has enacted far-reaching laws in defence, policing, intelligence coordination, cybersecurity and counter-terrorism.

Akpabio said these efforts strengthen agency mandates, promote inter-agency synergy and improve welfare for security personnel.

He said legislation alone cannot secure the country, adding that investments in people, technology, training and partnerships is essential.

“We must replace short-term firefighting with long-term planning,” he said.

“That is why this strategic plan matters — because it translates intent into action and action into measurable results.”

The presiding officer said the plan adopts a Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society approach by recognising that security is a shared responsibility among citizens, communities, institutions and international partners.

In his message, Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA), who was represented by Adamu Laka, coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, said the plan is the product of extensive research, inter-agency collaboration and consultations across government ministries, security institutions, academia, civil society and international partners.

He said the vision is to establish the National Counter Terrorism Centre as a regional centre of excellence in counter-terrorism and preventing violent extremism in West Africa and the Sahel.