The African Union (AU) has accredited Nigeria’s National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) as a Regional Centre of Excellence in Counter Terrorism, strengthening its mandate to support security cooperation across West Africa and the Sahel.
The accreditation was announced last Tuesday by the Acting Director of the African Union Counter Terrorism Centre (AUCTC), Dr Idriss Lallali, at the conclusion of the African Lessons Learned Forum in Abuja.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Strategic Communication, NCTC, Mr Michael Abu, in Wednesday in Abuja.
Lallali said the recognition followed a rigorous assessment of the NCTC institutional capacity, governance, training programmes, analytical capabilities, coordination mechanisms and commitment to human rights and the rule of law.
He said the accreditation would initially run for three years and could be renewed, with the formal terms to be communicated to the Nigerian Government through a diplomatic note.
“It is therefore my pleasure to announce that the African Union is accrediting the NCTC as an African Union Regional Centre of Excellence in counter terrorism,” he said.
Lallali said the assessment produced an accreditation roadmap outlining the institutional standards required for recognition.
He added that the NCTC subsequently strengthened its governance structures, developed training curricula and operational procedures, enhanced analytical and coordination functions, and reinforced safeguards for human rights and the rule of law.
Speaking on the development, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, described the accreditation as both recognition of Nigeria’s progress and a responsibility to contribute more substantially to Africa’s collective security.
Ribadu, represented by the NCTC National Coordinator, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, commended President Tinubu for his leadership, political will and sustained investment in the country’s security architecture.
He said the accreditation advanced the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda and his vision of positioning the centre to serve Nigeria, West Africa, the Sahel and the wider continent.
The NSA also commended the AU Commission and AUCTC for their technical support and the rigorous assessment process, particularly recognising Lallali’s role throughout the mapping, assessment and accreditation stages.
He acknowledged Laka’s leadership and the contributions of NCTC personnel, security and justice institutions, government ministries, departments and agencies, civil society organisations, communities and international partners.
Ribadu assured the centre of the Federal Government’s continued support to meet the demands of its expanded regional mandate.
He said the Office of the NSA would support the centre through appropriate staffing, sustainable funding, institutional partnerships and continued compliance with accreditation standards.
The NSA said the designation had expanded the centre’s regional responsibilities to include specialised training, joint threat analysis, research, technical assistance, exchange of lessons learned and enhanced counter-terrorism cooperation among AU member states.
He added that the development fulfilled President Bola Tinubu’s vision, announced at the High-Level African Counter Terrorism Meeting in Abuja in April 2024, to position the NCTC as a regional hub for intelligence sharing, operational coordination and capacity building.
The vision, according to him, was subsequently reflected in the Abuja Declaration.
Ribadu said the accreditation process began with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the AU and NCTC in September 2025, followed by a technical assessment mission by the AUCTC in Abuja in December 2025.
According to him, the accreditation formally positions Nigeria to contribute more directly to regional counter-terrorism efforts through specialised expertise, institutional support and stronger cooperation among African countries.
