As of the year 2025, Nigeria still maintains a very dynamic security situation manifested by the unending Boko Haram threats, newly emerged Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and local criminal militia groups. These insurgent eastern not only carry out deadly activities in the northeast but also destabilize other parts by engaging in Banditry, Kidnapping and Economically destabilizing parts. Although the military might, at the national level, have gotten some result here and there, the overall situation gives the headline of systematic weak spots, poor-endowed law enforcement, illegitimate borders, and uneconomical governance.
It is a terrain that requires more than national efforts. In Nigeria, the growing response to international counterterrorism discussions is an indication towards the appreciation of working together as a way of long-standing avenues to establish institutional capacity, intelligence, and technology, and the resilience of policies to an international transnational threat.
Aligning national goals with multilateral frameworks
Since the year 2014, Nigeria has also continuously increased its engagement in regional and global counterterrorism forums. The nation continues to participate in the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and it currently heads the African Union Peace and Security Council to help in coordinated action in the continent. These correspondences supplement national plans outlined in the updated 2019 National Security Strategy, with visions of whole-of-society action against extremism, integration of force with prevention and rehabilitation.
Development of Nigeria international counterterrorism dialogues in this structure are regarded as catalytic spaces, between Nigeria and global emerging norms, which opens its internal imperatives to integrate it therein.
Strengthening institutions through cross-border knowledge and training
Justice and security innovations through shared experiences
The fact that Nigeria took part in the April 2025 global professionals dialogue on the advancement of justice to children in counter-terrorism situations in Malta shows that the country was keen enough to tie their security attempts with humanitarian considerations. Through the assistance of partners in several African and European nations, Nigeria sought to improve the mechanisms of protecting recruited or impacted children by extremist organizations. The theme of the dialogue which dealt with juvenile justice, the concept of rehabilitation and human rights proved the desire of Nigeria to implement the changing best practices in its legal systems.
At operational level, bilateral and multilateral discussions have boosted the security structure of Nigeria. Some of the initiatives with major partners in the United States and the European Union have focused not only on counter terrorism operations but also on intelligence sharing, anti-money laundering and cybersecurity. Such hybrid ventures are modelled to preserve human rights of the civilians and to deactivate the terrorist cells and networks that exist- a phenomenon that is difficult at least necessary.
Community and civil society partnerships
In addition to intergovernmental collaboration, the discussions in Nigeria are paying much attention to civil society. Recent efforts include the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism work in Nigeria which entails the community leaders, NGOs, and religious networks involvement in the sources of making up against extremist ideology messages. The use of local actors provides information that otherwise may not be available to formal security agencies, thereby increasing policy relevancy and local cultural appropriateness.
Such participatory models of conversation fill the divide between the state governance and citizen confidences, resilience, and sustainable governing.
Adapting to emerging threats through dialogue-led evolution
Responding to digital radicalization and foreign fighter repatriation
With the change of extremist strategies to web-recruitment and encryption of correspondences, Nigeria started to integrate digital resilience into its counter terror strategies. Global discussions provide forums of cross-cutting information exchange on how to deal with extremist materials on the web, social media trend tracking and the inclusion of technology companies in policy discussions. There are also implications on the protection of privacy and regulatory transparency where the world at large has sought clarity on digital rights.
One more upcoming problem in 2025 is repatriation and reintegration of Nigerian citizens who were members of external terrorist organizations not so long ago. International forums also facilitate coordinated systems of screening, prosecuting, or rehabilitating of the returnees with recidivism being of prime importance. The changing trends in the practices in Nigeria in this area indicate security concerns and creating an obligation to act in accordance with international law.
Regional leadership in African counterterrorism frameworks
By 2025, Nigeria has assumed a stronger leadership position in the African Union related to security matters hosting top-level meetings on Africa security coordination with ECOWAS and the North African partners. The aims of these meetings are to streamline the control of illegal migration, intelligence coordination and the reform of legal frameworks. The African-led solutions that are focused on by Nigeria are their adherence to the UN Security Council Resolutions 2719 and 2767 that aim to increase the ability of African regions to control their security issues as well as reduce the reliance on Western models.
The country set up new international protocols against the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons, radiological, nuclear, and explosive material which were also ratified by Nigeria. International counterterrorism dialogues are bringing practical results in increasing the law enforcement preparedness and technical capacity in Nigeria, with these steps.
Victim-centered approaches and societal rebuilding
Shifting from punitive models to rehabilitation and reintegration
One of the clearest takeaways from global counterterrorism engagements is the importance of victim support in achieving sustainable peace. Nigeria has embraced this principle in part through its collaboration with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF), channeling resources toward trauma counseling, livelihood support, and education for survivors of violent extremism.
Such models—backed by funding and technical input from international donors—are being scaled in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa. The aim is to reintegrate survivors and ex-combatants alike into society through dignity-focused, economically empowering interventions that reduce re-recruitment risk.
Public commentary and critical voices
A voice that has gained visibility in Nigeria’s counterterrorism discourse is that of Darlington, a social commentator who stressed on X the importance of locally grounded and sustainable support. This person has spoken on the topic and summarizes the situation accordingly: international involvement is valuable, but lasting progress depends on adapting those inputs to grassroots realities rather than implementing top-down mandates.
This caution reflects a common view among stakeholders—that while international frameworks offer structure, success depends on how those strategies are localized and operationalized by Nigerian institutions and communities.
Structural constraints and strategic considerations
Barriers to coordination and implementation
Nigerians have lived to regret the bargain on international cooperation even after there is a promise after dialogue that needs to be materialized in action at home. The structural fragmentation at the federal and state institutions is a common problem that leads to slowing down of program rollouts. The situation is slowed by funding shortages and mismatching security policies; gaps with competing policy priorities, funding bottlenecks and administrative inconsistency.
Political changes and local wars also are an impediment to long-range planning. National coordination organs, like Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA), is still in the process of improving the intelligence, justice and development sectors to become part of a unified counter terrorism mechanism.
Navigating sovereignty and global assistance
One of the commonly held tensions in international talk is cooperation versus autonomy. Nigeria is always keen on its sovereignty, and it solicits the kind of support that does not proscribe local conditions in any direct manner. African led programs like the AU Post Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) program are a move in the direction of home grown solutions with international donors simply adding their weight rather than dominating the process.
Such a strategy will aid the maintenance of legitimacy at home and with the input of international partners, it evades the technical inadequacies when it comes to security and governance.
Nigeria’s regional influence and contributions to global dialogue
Nigeria has been actively involved in determining the counterterrorism discourses in the world. Its experiences in the management of religious, ethnic and socioeconomic causes of extremism provide lots of insights to nations that are struggling with a similar problem. The Nigerian authorities are regular participants in best practices, legislative reform, and post-conflict stabilization panels at the UN and AU.
Through forums, Nigeria emerges as a thought leader- learning more is done and speaking to others is achieved as well. Through such meetings, Nigeria can strengthen their diplomatic position and this will help in shaping international perceptions of terrorism causes and possible solutions.
Toward integrated, rights-based, and accountable counterterrorism
Nigeria’s participation in international counterterrorism dialogues throughout 2025 demonstrates a commitment to collaborative, flexible, and rights-aligned security practices. From youth-focused deradicalization to cyber-monitoring and legal harmonization, these engagements are informing policy shifts that move Nigeria closer to a multidimensional security model.
Yet, success depends not only on dialogue participation but on converting insights into action. Political stability, institutional accountability, and continuous civil engagement remain central to embedding best practices sustainably. As Nigeria navigates this complex terrain, it has the opportunity to serve as both a beneficiary and contributor to a more cohesive, cooperative global security architecture—one rooted in justice, community resilience, and forward-looking governance.
