Nigeria Seeks Stronger Global Support to Tackle Terrorism, Aid Survivors
Nigeria has called for stronger international cooperation in the fight against terrorism, with the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd.), urging the global community to provide sustained support for victims and survivors of violent extremism.
Musa made the call at the Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, where he stressed that the consequences of terrorism go far beyond the immediate loss of lives.
According to the Minister, families are left displaced, livelihoods destroyed and communities fractured long after terrorist attacks have ended. He therefore urged countries to move beyond short-term humanitarian relief and establish lasting systems to help survivors rebuild their lives.
The meeting, co-convened by Spain and Iraq, focused on strengthening international support for people affected by terrorism and violent extremism.
Musa noted that Sub-Saharan Africa carried a disproportionate share of the global terrorism burden in 2025, accounting for approximately 60 per cent of terrorism-related deaths. The latest Global Terrorism Index also identifies Sub-Saharan Africa as the global epicentre of terrorism, with six of the ten countries most affected located in the region.
Against this backdrop, the Defence Minister disclosed that Nigeria recorded 865 terrorism-related convictions in 2026, while continuing efforts to secure the release of captives and provide assistance to people who survive attacks.
For survivors, Musa said support must include medical care, psychosocial rehabilitation, economic assistance and help with returning to their communities.
He proposed a three-point framework for stronger international cooperation: increased peer learning among countries, partnerships involving governments, civil society and victims’ associations, and targeted United Nations technical assistance, capacity building and resource mobilisation for countries most affected by terrorism.
The Minister also highlighted existing United Nations initiatives supporting terrorism victims and commended Germany for supporting the development of a toolkit aimed at using technology to improve assistance to survivors.
Musa reaffirmed Nigeria’s willingness to share its experience with other countries and expressed optimism about the International Conference on Victims of Terrorism scheduled to take place in Baghdad, Iraq, later in 2026.
For communities living with the consequences of terrorism, the message from the UN meeting is that the fight does not end when an attack is over.
Beyond security operations and arrests, survivors still have to rebuild homes, livelihoods and communities—and Musa says international cooperation must remain part of that recovery.
#Nigeria #Terrorism #ChristopherMusa #UNGA #UnitedNations #TerrorismVictims #CounterTerrorism #NationalSecurity #Africa #ViolentExtremism #NigeriaNews #UkataNew
