By Joke Kujenya
NIGERIA’s President Bola Tinubu, today, kicked-off the African Counter-Terrorism Summit in Abuja, with backing from the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT).
This critical meeting is being hosted by Nigeria’s government to bolster regional cooperation and institution-building to tackle the evolving threat of terrorism in Africa.
The summit, scheduled to host today, April 22 and tomorrow, April 23, aims to ramp up multilateral efforts against terrorism and reshape the global response to the issue, with a focus on solutions driven by African nations themselves.
The gathering is also said to serve as a platform to access the extent and gravity of the terrorism threat across the continent, aiming to forge agreement on specific strategic priorities and actions to combat this menace effectively towards “Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Institution Building to Address the Evolving Threat of Terrorism.”
It also seeks to foster closer ties among African nations, strengthen their institutional capabilities, and facilitate the exchange of best practices and knowledge in the fight against terrorism.
The event is expected to draw heads of state and government, along with high-level officials from across Africa, representatives on international organizations and multilateral institutions, diplomats, and civil society representatives.
According to a statement released by Ajuri Ngelale, the Presiden’s Special Adviser on Media & Publicity, the summit aims to bolster multilateral cooperation in counter-terrorism efforts and reshape the global response to terrorism in Africa with a focus on Africa-led solutions.
It will alsos serve as a platform for assessing the severity of the terrorism threat on the continent and agreeing on specific strategic priorities and measures to combat it.
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Ms. Amina Mohammed, is among the dignitaries slated to attend the summit, underlining the global significance of the issue at hand.
The summit’s concluding remarks will be delivered by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, and Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, the Under-Security-General for Counterterrorism at UNOCT, marking a significant moment in the collective efforts to combat terrorism in Africa.
Attendees are expected to include heads of states, government officials, representatives of international organizations, diplomats, and civil society members from across Africa.
