ACSS Nigeria Chapter Takes Centre Stage at West Africa Counterterrorism Workshop in Côte d’Ivoire
The leadership of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) Nigeria Chapter played a prominent role at the recently concluded High-Level Workshop on Counterterrorism Strategy Implementation and Oversight in West Africa held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The strategic workshop, organised by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, Washington DC, brought together senior security officials, policymakers, legislators, governance experts, civil society leaders and regional stakeholders from across West Africa to strengthen collaboration and improve the implementation and oversight of counterterrorism strategies in the region.
Nigeria’s delegation featured key figures from the country’s security, governance, legislative and civil society sectors, reflecting what participants described as a rare convergence of expertise and leadership.
Among the Nigerian participants were Brigadier General Olutayo Muyiwa Adesuyi, Principal General Staff Officer from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA); Dr. Abdullateef O.T. Shittu, Director General of the Nigerian Governors Forum; Dr. Ibrahim Katsina, Head of Peace and Security Department at the Nigerian Governors Forum; Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army; and Hon. Satomi Ahmad, Chairman of the House Committee on Defence.
Others included Assistant Comptroller General David Idowu Ajelabi, Vice President of the ACSS Nigeria Chapter; Suleiman A. Mande, Secretary General of the Chapter; Dr. Jerry Uhuo, Senior Adviser on Policy and Strategy to the Speaker of the House of Representatives; Dr. Kemi Okenyodo, Executive Director of Partners West Africa Nigeria; Dr. Kabiru Adamu, Managing Director of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited; and Mrs. Pamela West of the Research Department, Office of the National Security Adviser.
The workshop focused on assessing the implementation of counterterrorism frameworks across West African countries while identifying practical strategies for improving institutional coordination, intelligence sharing, democratic accountability, community engagement and regional cooperation against violent extremism.
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Participants from Nigeria stressed that the changing nature of insecurity in Nigeria and the wider Sahel region requires stronger inter-agency collaboration, evidence-based policymaking, improved oversight systems and deeper partnerships involving government institutions, civil society, academia and regional actors.
Discussions at the workshop also highlighted the need for a whole-of-society approach to addressing terrorism and insecurity across the region.
The participation of the ACSS Nigeria Chapter leadership further reinforced the growing strategic importance of the organisation as a platform for policy dialogue, professional collaboration and thought leadership on security governance, peacebuilding and democratic accountability.
According to participants, the workshop underscored the urgent need to move beyond theoretical discussions towards coordinated actions capable of delivering measurable security outcomes across the region.
The engagements also focused on strengthening implementation frameworks for Nigeria’s National Counter Terrorism Strategy, improving institutional coordination, expanding community trust-building initiatives and enhancing legislative oversight mechanisms.
The workshop created opportunities for stronger collaboration between the ACSS Nigeria Chapter and major institutions including the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigerian Governors Forum, the National Assembly, civil society organisations and regional security stakeholders.
Participants acknowledged the critical role of the ACSS alumni network in bridging the gap between policy formulation, strategic planning, governance, research and operational implementation across sectors.
Speaking on the significance of the engagement, the leadership of the ACSS Nigeria Chapter described the workshop as a major step toward positioning the Chapter as a formidable network of professionals and institutions committed to promoting peace, security, democratic governance and sustainable development in Nigeria and across Africa.
The Chapter reaffirmed its commitment to supporting strategic dialogue and practical interventions aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s security architecture and promoting collaborative solutions to the continent’s complex security challenges.
The Africa Center for Strategic Studies remains one of the leading platforms for advancing strategic security studies, professional development and policy engagement between African leaders and the United States in addressing peace and security issues across the continent.
By PRNigeria
