The National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), is convening a 4-day Technical Workshop on Amnesty Management, Deradicalisation and Community-Based Reintegration, in Abuja, from January 31 to February 3, 2023, in collaboration with International Alert, Nigeria.
Part of the lessons learnt from complementing the Nigerian Government’s kinetic operations with soft approaches is that all peace-building stages, such as Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) require legislation, ownership and constant review. This technical workshop is, therefore, designed to contribute to policy, build skills, and enhance the capacity of institutions to effectively implement DDR programmes in an ever-evolving conflict space, and set the pace for the review of the Policy Framework and National Action Plan (PFNAP) on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE).
Through a collaborative problem-based approach, delegates to the Workshop will brainstorm on how to promote collaborative learning and establish a shared purpose for advancing DDR policy and practice in Nigeria. This will enable partners, participants and other actors to have a thorough strategic and operational level understanding of the concept, approaches and new practices in the effective planning, implementation and coordination of DDR.
In June 2022, ONSA launched a Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for effective implementation of the Policy Framework and National Action Plan on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE). As extremist ideologies and activities play a fundamental role in the recruitment of members into violent groups, the launching of Nigeria’s P/CVE marked the beginning of a process that would not only counter the messaging of violent groups but also prevent them from attracting fresh recruits.
DDR is a complex process that aims at re-establishing the state’s governance structures and is fundamentally a precondition for ending armed conflict, securing stabilisation and initiating a process leading to sustainable development.
NCTC, in collaboration with bilateral and multilateral partners and support from the International Alert Nigeria, will use the opportunity of the Workshop to assess the ongoing National DDR programmes and related activities, in line with the National Policy on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism.
Thus, participants are expected to examine lessons, challenges, opportunities and coordination frameworks of the DDR process from other countries, and consider policy priorities and key initiatives on Transitional Justice, Deradicalisation, Rehabilitation and Reintegration of the low risk associates in conflict settings.
Taking into cognizance, the Federal Government’s approach of whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society in its Counter- terrorism efforts, participants were drawn from various stakeholder groups, including Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs), Academics, Security and Research Institutions.
Others are: the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs); Tradition Institutions; youth and women orgnaisations.
Signed
Ozoya Imohimi
Head Strategic Communications
NCTC, ONSA.
