By SUNDAY ABBA, Abuja
Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu has called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders globally in the quest to prevent and counter use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) by insurgents in carrying out their nefarious attacks.
The NSA made the call Tuesday while giving his opening address at a Stakeholders meeting on Consolidating Collaborative Efforts to Prevent and Counter the Acquisition and Use of IED by Terrorist Group in West Africa, holding 6 – 8 May, 2025 at the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC – ONSA) in Abuja.
Ribadu who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Special Service Office (SSO), Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), Mohammed Sanusi Danjuma, said, “I’m honoured to stand before you today at the Regional Meeting on Countering Improvised Explosive Devices (CIEDs} as we come together to address the pressing need of preventing and countering the acquisition and use of IEDs by terrorist groups in West Africa here at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC).
“I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to our partners, the Global Counter Terrorism Forum (GCTF), West Afnca Capacity Building Working Group, the International Institute of Justice (IIJ), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) for the collaboration in organising this important meeting. Your dedication to strengthening our collective efforts in combating terrorism is highly commendable.
“This regional meeting serves as a platform for us to share knowledge, best practices, and experiences in addressing the threat of CIEDs.
“By bringing together representatives from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies in Nigeria, as well as experts from the West African Region, GCTF Member States, and other relevant stakeholders, we aim to develop effective mechanisms to enhance our ability to prevent and counter the use of IEDs.
“The discussions and recommendations that will emerge from this meeting are vital in shaping our strategies and initiatives to safeguard our communities and protect our citizens.
“The threat of terrorism knows no borders, and it is only through collaborative efforts such as this that we can effectively confront and defeat this menace,” urging active participation of all towards finding solutions that would strengthen our counterterrorism capabilities in West Africa.
Also delivering his opening remarks, the Ambassador of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria in Nigeria, Hocine Mezoued, who spoke in French language, commended Nigeria, and the organisers in particular, for organising the event.
He assured of his country’s readiness to stand by Nigeria and the rest of sister African countries in the fight against terrorism to achieve lasting security and peace for the citizens.
In the same vein, the ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Nigeria, Annette Gunther, expressed regret that the region is increasingly being targeted
by expanding terrorist operations. Particularly the ones involving the use of IEDs.
“In recent times, we have witnessed a notable increase in high-impact attacks, particularly involving IEDs,” he said.
He noted that technological advancements tend to jeopardise much of the impressive progress that many countries have made in bringing back stability, including Nigeria, particularly in the case of the three northeastern states of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa.
“Against this worrisome backdrop, we consider the capacity-building efforts of the West Africa Capacity Building Working Group and our West African partners more relevant than ever.
“The agenda of this meeting builds, among others, on the Working Group’s regional meeting of 2023, which emphasised the need to strengthen national and regional counter-IED expertise, disrupt the supply chains of IED components, and turn intelligence into the core of the scientific evidence.
“These insights resulted in the formulation of the Lume Recommendations. Since their initial formulation, these recommendations have been increasingly refined through important inputs from West African partners, as well as through consultations with regional and international counter-IED experts.
“This way, the Lume Recommendations have evolved into a best-practice document, tailor-made to address the specific challenges of the West Africa region related to the use of weapons.
“In particular, the IED recommendations are designed to address the challenges of the region. the proliferation of IEDs, Ambassador Gunther said.