At UN Ministerial Meeting, Nigeria Makes Case for Sustained Support Systems for Victims of Violent Extremism
Linus Aleke in Abuja Nigeria has called on the international community to move beyond short-term humanitarian relief and establish sustained, long-term support systems for victims and survivors of violent extremism.
At a recent UN Ministerial Meeting, Nigeria urged the global community to move away from temporary relief measures and instead create ongoing support systems for those affected by violent extremism. The meeting, co-hosted by Spain and Iraq on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, was convened by the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism.
Nigeria's Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, spoke about the dire impact of terrorism on the African continent, noting that sub-Saharan Africa alone accounted for roughly 60% of global terrorism-related deaths in 2025. He emphasized that behind these statistics lie families uprooted, livelihoods decimated, and communities shattered.
General Musa underscored the importance of translating identified priorities and lessons learned into sustained action. He detailed Nigeria's domestic counter-terrorism and justice efforts, which have led to 865 terrorism-related convictions in 2026. He reiterated Nigeria's commitment to both captives' release and comprehensive post-rescue support, which includes medical care, psychological rehabilitation, economic aid, and community reintegration.
Drawing from Nigeria's experience, General Musa proposed a three-point framework for enhancing international cooperation. He championed the creation of institutional mechanisms for peer learning, enabling Member States to exchange operational models, referral systems, and lessons learned, including candid evaluations of unsuccessful strategies.
He stressed the importance of inclusive partnerships, where national authorities, civil society organizations, and victims' associations collaborate meaningfully in justice and rehabilitation initiatives. Additionally, General Musa called for an expansion of United Nations technical assistance, capacity-building, and targeted resource allocation to combat the most severe terrorism burdens.
General Musa praised the UN's existing initiatives, such as the UNOCT Global Victims of Terrorism Support Programme, the Victims of Terrorism Associations Network (VoTAN), and Germany's backing for the Toolkit for Technology-Enabled Support to Victims of Terrorism. He reiterated Nigeria's willingness to share its expertise and partner with international allies.
He concluded on a hopeful note, looking forward to the upcoming International Conference on Victims of Terrorism, set to occur in Baghdad, Iraq, in the fourth quarter of 2026.
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