Fragmented Response Aiding Extremist Groups, Forum Warns

State governments, civil society actors, and development partners have intensified efforts to localise Nigeria’s Policy Framework and National Action Plan on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PF-NAP).

The push is driven by the Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Knowledge, Innovation and Resource Hub (PCVE-KIRH) of PAVE Network and the National Counter-Terrorism Centre at the Office of National Security Adviser (NCTC-ONSA), in collaboration with Nextier, SPRING Programme, FCDO, and the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF).

At a virtual consultative forum held on Wednesday, over 60 participants from federal and state institutions, civil society organisations, and technical working groups deliberated on strengthening implementation.

PAVE Network chairman, Jaye Gaskia, said the focus has shifted from “domestication” to localisation such that states can adapt national policies to their security and socio-political contexts.

“We are deliberately focusing on localisation because this is a national policy that must be adapted to local realities. States must identify their priorities, develop their own action plans, and establish coordination mechanisms that work for them,” he said.

He noted that technical working groups established in several states, particularly in the North-west, have emerged as critical vehicles for implementation, bringing together government actors, civil society, and community stakeholders.

The Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of the PCVE Directorate at the NCTC-ONSA, Ms Iye Mangset, commended the expanding collaboration among stakeholders. Mangset recalled that the PF-NAP, first developed in 2017 and recently revised in 2025, has been strengthened to reflect emerging realities.

She said that the updated framework now includes six core pillars: institutionalisation and mainstreaming of PCVE; access to justice; capacity building for individuals and communities; strategic communication; research, documentation and learning; and gender mainstreaming.

Mangset emphasised that the priority now is effective implementation at the state level, urging stakeholders to sustain the momentum. “We desire to see all partners, especially those from the states, continue to support and sustain this effort so that the framework delivers real impact,” she said.

Also speaking, the National Coordinator of GCERF Nigeria, Ms Yetunde Adegoke, underscored the importance of continuity. She noted that progress made over the past year must be consolidated through sustained engagement and forward-looking strategies.

Similarly, a Partner at Nextier, Dr Ndubisi Nwokolo, stressed that tackling violent extremism requires a shift from reactive, force-based responses to proactive, non-coercive approaches.

“For this to succeed, we must address the root causes of radicalisation. Violent extremism is not just a security issue, it is deeply tied to governance, inequality and social exclusion,” he said.

Nwokolo added that changing realities in Nigeria demand a rethink of long-held assumptions about extremism, noting that the phenomenon is no longer distant but increasingly localised.

Discussions at the forum revealed that while progress has been recorded in developing state-level PCVE structures and action plans, significant gaps remain.

Participants cited some of the challenges as including: weak coordination across agencies, bureaucratic delays in implementation, limited funding and overreliance on donor support, and inconsistent political commitment.

Similarly, the state actors shared experiences of ongoing efforts, including stakeholder engagement, early warning systems, and community-based interventions, but stressed that these initiatives often operate in silos. “There is growing awareness, but implementation is still uneven. What is needed now is alignment and sustained political will,” one participant noted.

The forum recognised that fragmented responses have enabled extremist groups to exploit regional gaps.

Participants stressed that without a coordinated national and subnational strategy, gains recorded in one area could easily be reversed as groups relocate.

To address this, stakeholders called for stronger alignment between federal and state efforts, the institutionalisation of Technical Working Groups as State Coordination Committees, the integration of PCVE into broader state security and development plans, and dedicated budgetary allocations by state governments.

The forum further acknowledged the critical role of strategic communication in countering extremist narratives and building public trust. A national communication plan developed under the framework is expected to be launched alongside the revised PF-NAP.