AU names Nigeria's counter-terrorism centre a regional hub for West Africa and Sahel
- The African Union has accredited Nigeria's National Counter Terrorism Centre as a Regional Centre of Excellence.
- The centre will now support West African and Sahel countries with training, threat analysis and intelligence sharing.
- The accreditation runs for three years and can be renewed, the AU said.
Nigeria's National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) has been accredited by the African Union as a Regional Centre of Excellence in Counter Terrorism, giving it a wider role across West Africa and the Sahel.
The decision was announced on 27 October 2026 by Dr Idriss Mounir Lallali, acting director of the African Union Counter Terrorism Centre (AUCTC), at the end of the African Lessons Learned Forum in Abuja. He spoke on behalf of the AU Commission's Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security.
For ordinary Nigerians, the change does not mean new troops or new money at home. It means the centre, which sits under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), will now train and share intelligence with other African countries facing similar threats from armed groups.
What the centre will do
According to a statement by the NCTC's spokesman, Abu Michael, the centre will support AU member states with specialised training, joint threat analysis, research, technical assistance and exchanges of lessons learned.
The accreditation followed an assessment of the centre's institutional capacity, governance, training programmes, analytical skills, coordination and its respect for human rights and the rule of law.
Lallali said the process began with a Memorandum of Understanding between the AU and the NCTC in September 2025. A technical assessment team from the AUCTC visited Abuja in December 2025 and set out the standards the centre had to meet.
He said the accreditation will initially last three years and is renewable. The formal terms will reach the Federal Government through a Note Verbale from the AU's Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security.
"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," Lallali said.
Ribadu hails recognition
National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, represented by NCTC National Coordinator Major General Adamu Garba Laka, called the accreditation recognition of Nigeria's progress and a bigger responsibility for the continent's security.
"Today marks a proud and consequential moment for Nigeria and Africa," Ribadu said. He thanked President Bola Tinubu for what he described as sustained investment in Nigeria's security architecture, saying the achievement advanced the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The statement said the accreditation fulfils Tinubu's vision, first announced at a high-level African counter-terrorism meeting in Abuja in April 2024 and later reflected in the Abuja Declaration, to make the centre a regional hub.
Ribadu said the Federal Government and ONSA would keep supporting the centre with staffing, funding and partnerships so it can meet the demands of its new regional role.
What happens next: The AU will send the formal accreditation terms to Abuja. The centre then begins taking on regional training and analysis work alongside its existing duties in Nigeria.
