German Ambassador to Nigeria, Annett Günther, said complex policy challenges cannot be solved by one group or nation.
She therefore urged stronger collaboration among stakeholders to address Nigeria’s persistent security concerns.
She spoke at the inaugural Edition of Abuja Policy Lab, organised by the German Embassy Abuja, where participants examined kinetic and non-kinetic strategies aimed at improving safety and tackling insecurity across Nigeria.
Günther said the forum was designed to convene carefully selected stakeholders from government, civil society, security agencies and the media to generate practical, cross-sector solutions to the country’s security crisis.
Drawing from her diplomatic experience, she emphasised that policymakers, civil society actors, diplomats, media professionals and the armed forces must work together rather than operate in silos when confronting terrorism and violence.
She noted that insecurity had long constrained Nigeria’s development and attracted international concern, adding that resolving the crisis could unlock significant economic potential and accelerate national growth.
The National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Maj. Gen. Adamu Laka (retd), said government efforts to tackle insurgency addressed multiple drivers, including ideology, terrorism financing and illicit mining activities.
Represented by Brig. Gen. Peter Gbor, he said insurgency persisted due to varied regional factors, including extremist ideology in the Northeast and illegal mining operations that generated funds for armed groups.
He stressed the need to counter terrorism financing through anti-money laundering measures, disrupt recruitment networks and promote deradicalisation initiatives, including engagement with religious leaders under Operation Safe Corridor.
Nigeria Country Manager at the Institute for Integrated Transition, Thomas Bimba, linked rural violence to grievances over land access, ownership and resource control across various regions.
He recommended mapping rural lands as part of a peace and conflict strategy, arguing that clearer land rights and governance could reduce incentives for violence in affected communities.
Head of Stabilisation in Africa at Germany’s Foreign Ministry, Arne Hargit, said Berlin supports Nigeria through humanitarian assistance and stabilisation programmes targeting insurgency-affected regions.
Germany’s cross-border initiative in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states supports the humanitarian-development-peace nexus in the Lake Chad Basin, implemented with partners including the EU and UNDP alongside Nigerian authorities.
