The Federal Government has developed a comprehensive set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to guide the implementation of Nigeria’s Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programme as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s response to terrorism, violent extremism and other security threats.
The National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, disclosed the development on Monday during the National Validation Workshop on the Standard Operating Procedures for DDR held in Abuja. The workshop also focused on implementation at the federal level and in the pilot states of Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara.
Laka explained that the Nigeria DDR framework required practical implementation guidelines to ensure effective coordination among institutions responsible for carrying out the programme.
“Recognising that a policy framework alone is insufficient to guide implementation, the National Counter Terrorism Centre and its partners subsequently developed a comprehensive set of Standard Operating Procedures to translate the strategic objectives of the National DDR Framework into practical guidance for implementing institutions,” he said.
According to him, the SOPs were developed through extensive consultations, drawing from Nigeria’s security experiences, international best practices and the country’s unique operational realities.
He said the procedures are designed to define institutional responsibilities, strengthen inter-agency collaboration, standardise operational processes and ensure that DDR programmes are implemented in accordance with human rights principles and the rule of law. Laka described disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration as a key pillar of Nigeria’s non-kinetic approach to tackling insecurity.
While acknowledging the importance of military operations in degrading terrorist and criminal networks, he stressed that sustainable peace requires credible opportunities for eligible individuals to abandon violence and successfully reintegrate into society.
He noted that consultations conducted across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones revealed broad support for a nationally coordinated, locally owned and human rights-based Nigeria DDR framework capable of responding to the country’s evolving security challenges.
According to him, the consultations also identified terrorism, violent extremism, armed banditry, communal clashes, farmer-herder conflicts, organised crime and separatist violence as threats requiring coordinated national responses.
Laka described the validation workshop as a major milestone toward institutionalising a transparent and accountable DDR system across the country, noting that the inclusion of state-specific operating procedures would allow pilot states to address their unique security realities more effectively.
Also speaking, the Director of Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism at the NCTC, Amb. Abimbola Wońosikou, said the SOPs were designed to provide a unified national approach to rehabilitation and reintegration efforts. She explained that although several rehabilitation initiatives already exist, there was a need to harmonise operations through common standards that promote consistency and effectiveness.
Wońosikou disclosed that State DDR Committees had already been established in Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara to coordinate implementation at the sub-national level. According to her, the committees include representatives of state governments, security agencies, justice institutions, traditional and religious leaders, women and youth groups, civil society organisations and technical institutions.
She added that the SOPs clearly define institutional roles, referral pathways, case management procedures, information-sharing mechanisms, human rights safeguards, community engagement strategies, monitoring frameworks and coordination structures.
Wońosikou emphasised that while the Nigeria DDR framework creates opportunities for eligible individuals to disengage from violence and reintegrate into society, those accused of serious criminal offences would continue to face prosecution through the appropriate legal processes. She also called for a coordinated communication strategy to counter misinformation and improve public understanding of the programme.
Speaking on behalf of the United Nations Department of Peace Operations’ DDR Section, now under the UN Peace Support Office, Mario Nascimento commended Nigeria for developing a framework that reflects the country’s changing security landscape.
He noted that Nigeria’s approach extends beyond the reintegration of former combatants to strengthening community resilience and promoting shared responsibility for lasting peace. Nascimento stressed that successful reintegration cannot occur in isolation, adding that sustainable DDR programmes depend on the active participation of communities, civil society, local authorities and the private sector.
