The National Security Adviser (NSA), Retired Col. Sambo Dasuki, on Monday in New York, unveiled the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Programme, Nigeria’s grand strategy to tackling terrorism.
Dasuki, who unveiled the programme at an event: “Policy Dialogue: Nigeria’s Soft Approach to Countering Violent Extremism, said “no nation has the monopoly of knowledge, especially when it comes to dealing with terrorism.”
He said the ultimate success of the programme would depend on how closely Nigeria worked with and supported by its partners, the international community and local oganisations.
Dasuki said that the strategy was developed, taking into account the root causes of terrorism, adding that the approach was to understand the problem in order to apply appropriate solutions.
“What we have learnt is that there is not one particular path that leads to terrorism; rather, there are many, often complicated paths that led to terrorism.
“The prgoramme seeks to prevent attacks before they happen by preventing our people from becoming terrorists in the first place.
“The soft approach to counter-terrorism has resulted in the development of the programme that is vertical and involves the three tiers of government.
“The programme is also horizontal, involving civil society organisations, academics, traditional, religious and community leaders.”
According to the NSA, the programme utilises existing structures within and outside government to deliver targeted programmes and activities that will further the overall objective of stemming the tide of radicalism.
Dasuki said that the approach had been divided into four streams and that the first stream was deradicalisation of convicted terrorists, suspects awaiting trials, and those who might be released
through court orders or such order from government arising from the ongoing engagement and dialogue with repentant terrorists.
“The deradicalisation programme is prison-based and the Ministry of Interior, along with the prison service will drive the programme.
“The initiative will require substantial capacity building of prison staff in areas such as psychology, sports and arts therapy, faith-based instructors and vocational training experts that will engage beneficiaries.
“The objective is to engage violent extremist convicts/suspects in theological, ideological, physical and entrepreneurial value change that leads to a change in their behavior.
“Families, community leaders and NGOs will be given access to participate in the process in a fair and transparent manner to speed up easy assimilation of convicts/suspects back to society,” he said.
The Second Stream, he said, was “a whole of society approach in our counter terrorism thinking.
“We believe that we can win the war against terror by mobilising our family, cultural, religious and national values.
“Through fear and violence, extremist groups are bent on changing the way we see and relate with each other and the only way to defeat this is to remain united and confront the threat as one nation under God.
“The counter radicalisation stream seeks to build community engagement and resilience through building trust, creating awareness and resilience.
“Government is partnering with faith based organisations, community based organisations, NGOs and other stakeholders to deliver counter radicalisation programmes at community levels.
“It is our expectation that this process will be shaped and delivered by civil society actors, especially those who are already intervening in conflict resolution, peace building and inter faith advocacy,” he said.
The NSA said that his office had set in motion, a robust partnership with states and local governments that would over the next 18 months build structures, strategies, partnerships and programmes that were relevant and sensitive to those states.
“It is through these programmes that youth discover themselves and become imaginative and inquisitive, the skills so critical to an emerging 21st century nation.
“Schools must retrace their steps and return to being the primary laboratories of peace. A place where children go to learn about diversity, tolerance, and how to commune with those of different faiths and ethnicities.
Dasuki said plans have been concluded to institutionalise strategic communication in the training curriculum of the Nigerian Defence Academy.
“Through this training, our armed forces will be able to analyse terrorist messaging, conduct psychological operations, evolve civil military relations and be equipped in media relations through better appreciation of the requirements of our democracy.”
In December 2013, he said President Goodluck Jonathan tasked leaders of the Northeast region and the NSA to develop a joint regional redevelopment plan which would serve as foundation for a federal-state partnership to revitalise the region’s economy.
Towards, this, Dasuki said, his office had been working with the Ministries of Agriculture, Power, Finance, Works, Water Resources, Health, Education, Transport, Communication, Culture and Tourism, Industry-Trade and Investments, Solid Minerals Development, Science and Technology, Youth Development, and Lands and Housing, among others.
He assured Nigerians that government was doing everything to protect lives and property.
The Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, Prof. Joy Ogwu, said she was confident that
Nigeria would eradicate all forms of extrimism, the manner it handled the Ebola Virus Disease.
Ogwu, who described NSA programme a “robust initiative”, called for regional support for Nigeria in her efforts at tackling extrimism.
In his contributions, Mr Jehangir Khan, the Director, UN Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF), commended Nigeria for unveiling the programme.
Khan pledged the support of the UN to Nigeria’s efforts to stop terrorism.
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