Nigeria seeks motion towards terrorists’ use of AI, drones
By Isaac Aregbesola
Nigeria has referred to as for intensified regional efforts to disrupt terrorists’ exploitation of synthetic intelligence (AI), drones and digital property for propaganda, recruitment and financing throughout West Africa and the Sahel.
Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), made the decision on Tuesday in Abuja.
He spoke on the opening of a three-day regional coaching of trainers on ‘Detecting and Disrupting Terrorists’ Use of Information and Communication Technologies in West Africa and the Sahel’.
ONSA organised the coaching in collaboration with the African Union Counter-Terrorism Centre (AUCTC) and the Sahel’s Fusion and Liaison Unit (UFL).
Laka mentioned terrorist teams have been more and more exploiting digital applied sciences to recruit members, radicalise people, coordinate operations and lift funds throughout nationwide borders.
He recognized social media, messaging functions, AI-generated content material, autonomous programs and cryptocurrency transactions as rising instruments being deployed by terrorist networks.
The NCTC coordinator pressured the necessity for regional safety businesses to strengthen their capability to anticipate, detect, analyse and disrupt digital threats earlier than they materialised.
He mentioned Nigeria couldn’t afford to lag behind in addressing the evolving menace, emphasising the necessity to develop consultants able to countering technology-enabled terrorism.
“The need to build a new generation of experts capable of anticipating and disrupting digital threats before they materialise cannot be overemphasised,” Laka mentioned.
He defined that the three-day programme was designed to equip contributors with the information and expertise required to coach others of their respective nations.
According to him, the initiative goes past buying technological instruments to creating folks, strengthening establishments and constructing partnerships for accountable know-how use.
“The goal is not just to acquire technology but to develop people, institutions and partnerships that can use technology responsibly for counterterrorism,” he mentioned.
Laka described regional cooperation as essential to tackling the menace, urging safety businesses to enhance intelligence sharing and set up lawful mechanisms for exchanging cyber menace info.
He mentioned efficient collaboration would allow nations to reply extra rapidly to threats that transcend nationwide borders and exploit weaknesses in particular person safety programs.
The coordinator additionally disclosed that the NCTC was transitioning right into a Regional Centre of Excellence for counterterrorism.
He mentioned the initiative aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s declaration on the 2024 High-Level Africa Counterterrorism Summit held in Abuja.
According to Laka, the centre is working with the AUCTC to safe accreditation for the proposed regional position.
He mentioned accreditation would allow the NCTC to increase capacity-building help to different nations beneath the AUCTC Continental Cybersecurity Capability Programme 2026–2030.
Laka urged contributors, drawn from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Multinational Joint Task Force and regional intelligence buildings, to maximise the coaching.
He challenged them to copy the information acquired and strengthen their nations’ potential to detect and disrupt terrorists’ use of rising applied sciences.
“Information only becomes valuable when it is shared responsibly and converted into actionable intelligence through trusted relationships and effective systems,” he mentioned.
Earlier, the Acting Director of the AUCTC, Mr Idriss Lallali, warned that terrorist cells with restricted monetary assets have been exploiting inexpensive applied sciences to outpace authorities response mechanisms.
Lallali expressed concern that teams such because the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Boko Haram and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) have been extending their attain past bodily territories.
He mentioned the teams have been utilizing social media for recruitment, cellular cash and cryptocurrencies to switch funds, and the darknet to obtain weapons.
He added that terrorists have been additionally utilizing drones to increase their operational capabilities throughout borders.
According to Lallali, the best challenges should not merely technological sophistication but additionally the velocity and affordability of the instruments accessible to extremist teams.
He defined that even a small terrorist cell might attain giant audiences and execute operations sooner than bureaucratic safety programs might reply.
Lallali mentioned African nations had various capacities to counter such threats, creating gaps that deliberate coaching and stronger coordination might assist tackle.
He pressured that focused capacity-building initiatives have been needed to enhance technical experience and strengthen cooperation amongst African member states.
Meanwhile, the Coordinator of the UFL, Amb. Fatima Abdallah-Arasahi, represented by Mr Baba Keita, reaffirmed the unit’s dedication to regional counterterrorism cooperation.
Abdallah-Arasahi mentioned the UFL was prepared to work with regional companions to weaken terrorist networks and tackle their exploitation of knowledge and communication applied sciences.
“The willingness to involve all our services demonstrates the interest that the UFL attaches to the selected theme,” she mentioned.
She mentioned the theme addressed the rising problem posed by terrorist teams’ exploitation of knowledge and communication applied sciences and rising applied sciences.
“The UFL is ready to support all initiatives related to the concerns of its member services in the fight against terrorism and the strengthening of cooperation among regional mechanisms,” Keita mentioned.
The coaching is anticipated to strengthen regional experience and cooperation in figuring out and disrupting terrorists’ use of digital platforms and rising applied sciences. (NAN)
Edited by Kamal Tayo Oropo
