From Molly Kilete, Abuja

 

The National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Major General Babagana Monguno has said the changing nature of the security landscape over the last three decades in the country and across the world has necessitated the broadening of ONSA’s mandate to accommodate the needs of emerging security threats.

Mungono, said, while ONSA’s core mandate is to assess the security concerns of the country and advise the president on all matters bordering on national security, the dynamic nature of global and domestic security environments has necessitated the modification and expansion of some of the functions of ONSA.

The NSA said this in his welcome address at the commissioning of the new Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the National Counterterrorism Centre (NCTC) building complex on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to him, “The Office, through the activities of key interagency intelligence-sharing platforms such as the Intelligence Community Committee, Joint Intelligence Board, General Security Appraisal Committee and the Cybercrime Advisory Council, assesses the security concerns of the country and advises the President on all matters bordering on national security. However, the series of amendments incorporated in the Terrorism Prevention Act in 2011, 2013 and 2022 have broadened the counterterrorism responsibilities of ONSA,” he said.

Related News

He listed the establishment of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons to meet the regional and global requirements as well as Nigeria’s commitments to the control of small arms and light weapons; the Cybersecurity Coordination Centre; the NCTC to coordinate Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts; and the upgrade of the Intelligence Fusion Centre (IFC) as some of the developments that generated the need for larger, more secure and better-equipped facilities to centrally house all key departments in order to optimally discharge the functions of ONSA.

“The new office for the National Counterterrorism Centre is designed to accommodate the additional workforce and improved technological capabilities of the Centre, particularly the Explosive Devices Analysis Office – EDAO, increasing activities of the Countering Violent Extremism – CVE department and the Joint Terrorism Analysis Branch,” Monguno said.

The new ONSA and NCTC building complex boasts of office spaces, a world-class hall, conference rooms, team rooms, laboratories, an auditorium, and an operations/crises centre.

Monguno said the facilities would further enhance Nigeria’s already recognised contribution to global counterterrorism policy and practice efforts and give impetus to Nigeria’s internal, bilateral, and multilateral cooperation and collaboration in tackling the menace of terrorism and violent extremism.

He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his administration’s investment strategy in legacy infrastructure projects, saying the conceptualization, design and development of the new ONSA and NCTC buildings were based on Buhari’s vision of ensuring a robust national security enterprise for the country.