Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Monday unveiled Nigeria’s 2025–2030 Counter-Terrorism Strategic Plan, emphasizing that Nigerians deserve to live in safety and without fear.
The plan was developed by the National Counter-Terrorism Centre under the Office of the National Security Adviser.
In his keynote address, Akpabio said the event was more than the unveiling of a policy document, describing it as a defining moment in the nation’s journey.
“It is a moment when Nigeria again reaffirms that our people deserve to live without fear, that our children deserve a future of peace, and that our nation must be secured to prosper,” he said.
The Senate President noted that every generation confronts questions that history compels it to answer.
“For ours, the question is clear: How do we secure our nation, safeguard our people and set Nigeria irreversibly on the path of peace, growth and stability?
“The Strategic Plan 2025–2030 answers this question with vision, discipline and ambition. It offers a framework for transforming our institutions, modernising our security architecture, strengthening national resilience and expanding partnerships across government, industry, civil society and the international community.
“As President of the Senate, I have seen how insecurity weakens the foundations of development. Investors withdraw, schools close, farmers abandon their fields, and hope retreats from the hearts of our young people. That is why a pragmatic, forward-looking and implementation-driven plan such as this is timely, necessary and welcome.
“While security is a constitutional responsibility shared by all arms of government, the legislature has a unique obligation — to provide the legal, oversight and budgetary backbone upon which security institutions stand and thrive.
“The 10th National Assembly has taken this duty seriously. We have enacted far-reaching laws in defence, policing, intelligence coordination, cyber security and counter-terrorism.
“We have strengthened agency mandates, promoted inter-agency synergy and championed better welfare for those who risk their lives daily so that Nigeria and Nigerians could be secure in their homes, hopeful in their communities, and proud to raise children in a country where safety is not a privilege, but a guarantee.
“But legislation alone cannot secure our country. We must invest in people, technology, training and strategic partnerships.
“We must replace short-term firefighting with long-term planning. That is why this strategic plan matters — because it translates intent into action and action into measurable results.
“It recognises that security is not the duty of government alone, but a shared responsibility of citizens, communities, traditional institutions, the private sector, and international allies. It stands out because it reflects a whole-of-Government and whole-of-Society approach,” Akpabio said
In a message delivered at the event, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, represented by Major General Adamu Laka, Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, said the Strategic Plan is the result of extensive research, inter-agency collaboration, and consultations with government ministries, security agencies, academia, civil society, and international partners.
He stated that the vision is to position the National Counter-Terrorism Centre as a regional hub of excellence in combating terrorism and violent extremism across West Africa and the Sahel.
