Good governance, inclusion key to curbing violent extremism, says NCTC

Adamu Laka, national coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), says Nigeria cannot win the fight against violent extremism without tackling its root causes through good governance and economic inclusion.

Laka made the point on Thursday at a national summit on preventing and countering violent extremism (PCVE) in Abuja.

The meeting, convened by the PCVE Knowledge Innovation and Resource Hub (PCVE-KIRH) in partnership with the Partnership Against Violent Extremism (PAVE) Network, had the theme: “The Evolving Landscape of Violent Extremism: Emerging Issues in Nigeria and the Sahel.”

Speaking through Ahmed Abubakar Madawaki, director of policy and strategy at the NCTC, Laka noted that violent extremism in Nigeria has grown complex, with insecurity manifesting in multiple ways across different regions.

He said insurgency in the north-east, banditry in the north-west, and conflicts over land and identity in other zones were increasingly being exploited by extremist narratives.

He added that instability in neighbouring Sahel countries, porous borders, and the rise of transnational militant groups were fuelling cross-border threats.

Beyond geography, he noted that technology had become a powerful tool for radicalisation, recruitment, and financing, meaning extremist influence could now spread without physical boundaries.

“Across Nigeria we see multiple, overlapping dynamics. The north-east continues to contend with insurgency that has economic, social, and humanitarian consequences,” he said.

“The north-west faces banditry and criminal networks that sometimes present as, or partner with, violent extremist actors.

“Elsewhere, local conflicts driven by competition over land, identity, and livelihoods are penetrated by extremist narratives.

“In the Sahel, porous borders and transnational militant networks produce spillover effects. Globally, the rise of online radicalization and the use of digital tools to recruit, finance, and coordinate means that geography no longer constrains influence.

“Understanding these patterns is thus critical. It reminds us that prevention must be local, contextual, and multi-dimensional; that security responses must be rights-respecting and coordinated; and that development solutions, economic inclusion, social services, and governance are central to prevention.”

Joseph Ochogwu, director-general of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), warned that violent extremism continues to undermine peace and development across Nigeria and the Sahel.

He said the rise of “hybrid threats and new patterns of radicalisation” demand coordinated responses that go beyond traditional security frameworks.

“These realities demand not only vigilance, but also innovation, collaboration, and a whole-of-government and whole-of-society response,” he said.

Also speaking, Jaye Gaskia, chair of the national steering committee of the PAVE Network, said dysfunctional governance systems, and socio-economic inequalities trigger violent extremism.

“We emphasize that violent extremism is not just a security problem — it is fundamentally a development challenge,” Gaskia said.

“Its root causes and triggers often lie in dysfunctional governance systems, socio-economic inequalities, political exclusion, and structural injustices.”

The summit brought together stakeholders from government, civil society, and the international community to deliberate on strategies for prevention.