Nigeria has called on the international community to move beyond short-term humanitarian assistance and establish durable systems of support for victims and survivors of violent extremism.
The appeal was made at the Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Defence Minister Christopher Musa said terrorism continued to have a disproportionate impact on Africa and argued that international support should address the long-term consequences for displaced families, damaged communities and survivors.
He said Nigeria had secured 865 terrorism-related convictions in 2026 and was combining prosecution with efforts to rescue captives and provide medical, psychosocial and economic support after release.
Musa proposed a three-part framework for stronger international cooperation built around peer learning, inclusive partnerships and targeted United Nations assistance.
He called for mechanisms that would allow governments to share operational models and lessons, including programmes that had failed, so that member states could improve rehabilitation and justice responses.
He also urged stronger links among government agencies, civil society and victims’ associations to ensure survivors had a meaningful voice in rehabilitation and accountability processes.
Nigeria further called for United Nations technical support and resource mobilization to be tailored to countries carrying the heaviest terrorism burden.
