AU accredits Nigeria’s counter-terrorism centre as regional hub

The African Union has officially recognized Nigeria's National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) as a Regional Centre of Excellence in Counter Terrorism, expanding its mandate to assist countries in West Africa and the Sahel. This accreditation was confirmed on October 27, 2026, by Dr Idriss Mounir Lallali, the Acting Director of the African Union Counter Terrorism Centre, during the African Lessons Learned Forum in Abuja.

The decision was made following a thorough evaluation of the centre's institutional capacity, governance, training programmes, analytical skills, coordination mechanisms, and commitment to human rights and the rule of law. The accreditation is a fulfillment of President Tinubu's vision, as outlined in the Abuja Declaration, to establish the NCTC as a regional hub for enhancing intelligence sharing, operational coordination, specialized training, and capacity building in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

This significant milestone marks Nigeria's increased role in collective African security, positioning the centre to offer specialized training, joint threat analysis, research, technical assistance, lessons-learned exchanges, and bolstered counter-terrorism cooperation to African Union Member States, particularly those in West Africa and the Sahel.

The designation empowers the NCTC to play a more active role in supporting the security of the continent.