The African Union has accredited Nigeria’s National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), which operates under the Office of the National Security Adviser, as a Regional Centre of Excellence in Counter Terrorism for West Africa and the Sahel.
The designation fulfils President Bola Tinubu’s vision, announced at a high-level African counter-terrorism meeting in Abuja in April 2024, to develop the NCTC into a regional hub for intelligence sharing, operational coordination, specialised training and capacity building.
NCTC Head of Strategic Communication Abu Michael said in a statement on Thursday that the accreditation recognises Nigeria’s contribution to collective African security. It gives the centre a broader role supporting AU member states through training, joint threat analysis, research, technical assistance and exchanges of experience.
The AU announced the accreditation on October 27, 2026, at the end of the African Lessons Learned Forum in Abuja. Acting Director of the AU Counter Terrorism Centre, Dr Idriss Mounir Lallali, said the decision followed an assessment of the NCTC’s governance, staffing, training, analytical capacity, coordination systems and commitment to human rights and the rule of law.
The process began with a memorandum of understanding between the AU and the NCTC in September 2025. An AU technical assessment mission visited Abuja in December that year and produced a roadmap of requirements. The NCTC subsequently worked to improve its governance, training programmes, operating procedures and analytical and coordination functions.
“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.
“This decision will be conveyed formally to the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria through a Note Verbale. It will come from the Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, through the AUCTC.
“That Note will set out the terms of the accreditation: an initial period of three years, renewable, the regional responsibilities the Centre now takes on, and the commitments the African Union makes in return.”
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, represented at the event by NCTC National Coordinator Major General Adamu Garba Laka, described the accreditation as recognition of Nigeria’s progress and a responsibility to contribute further to the continent’s security.
Ribadu praised Tinubu’s leadership and investment in Nigeria’s security system, saying the accreditation advanced the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the vision of an NCTC serving Nigeria, West Africa, the Sahel and the wider continent.
He thanked the AU Commission and the AUCTC for their technical support and recognised Lallali’s role in the assessment process. Ribadu also commended Laka, NCTC staff, security and justice institutions, government agencies, civil society groups, communities and international partners for helping secure the accreditation.
He said the Federal Government and ONSA would support the centre’s expanded responsibilities with appropriate staffing, sustainable resources and institutional partnerships, while ensuring it continues to meet accreditation standards.