By By Elizabeth Ugbo
The Federal Government on Monday unveiled Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Nigeria’s Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programme during a validation workshop in Abuja. The procedures will guide the implementation of the National DDR Framework to combat terrorism, violent extremism, banditry and other armed conflicts by providing clear operational guidelines, strengthening coordination and ensuring accountability across relevant institutions.
FG Strengthens Nigeria’s Non-Kinetic Security Strategy
The National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, said the SOPs would transform the National DDR Framework into practical actions for implementing agencies.
According to him, the procedures will improve transparency, accountability and inter-agency coordination while ensuring consistent implementation nationwide.
Laka explained that developing a policy framework alone was not enough to deliver effective results.
“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.
SOPs Define Institutional Responsibilities
Laka said the SOPs emerged from extensive consultations and reflected Nigeria’s security realities alongside international best practices.
He noted that the framework would:
- Clarify institutional mandates and responsibilities.
- Strengthen coordination among agencies.
- Standardise operational procedures.
- Promote compliance with human rights principles and the rule of law.
He described the validation workshop as a major step toward building a transparent and coordinated DDR system across Nigeria.
Military Action Alone Cannot Deliver Lasting Peace
The NCTC Coordinator stressed that military operations remain essential in weakening terrorist and criminal groups.
However, he said sustainable peace requires credible opportunities for eligible individuals to abandon violence and return safely to society.
“While kinetic operations remain indispensable in degrading terrorist and criminal networks, lasting peace can only be achieved when complemented by credible pathways that facilitate the transition of eligible individuals away from violence and support their safe reintegration into society,” Laka stated.
He added that consultations across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones showed strong support for a nationally coordinated, locally owned and human rights-based DDR framework.
According to him, participants also highlighted emerging security threats, including:
- Terrorism
- Violent extremism
- Armed banditry
- Communal conflicts
- Farmer-herder clashes
- Organised crime
- Separatist violence
Pilot States to Lead Implementation
Also speaking, the Director of Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism at the NCTC, Amb. Abimbola Wońosikou, said the SOPs would provide a unified national response to growing security challenges.
She explained that several rehabilitation and reintegration programmes already operate across Nigeria. However, she said the country needed one coordinated system to improve effectiveness.
“These efforts culminated in the development of the draft National DDR Framework and Strategy, and subsequently, the Standard Operating Procedures, which have been prepared by a multidisciplinary team of experts and are before us today for review and validation,” she said.
Wońosikou disclosed that the NCTC had established State DDR Committees in Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara as pilot states.
She said the committees include representatives from:
- State governments
- Security agencies
- Justice institutions
- Traditional rulers
- Religious leaders
- Women and youth groups
- Civil society organisations
- Technical institutions
She explained that the SOPs outline referral pathways, case management processes, information-sharing protocols, monitoring systems, community engagement mechanisms and human rights safeguards.
UN Commends Nigeria’s DDR Framework
Speaking on behalf of the UN Department of Peace Operations’ DDR Section, now under the UN Peace Support Office, Mario Nascimento praised Nigeria for developing a framework that reflects the country’s changing security landscape.
He noted that Nigeria had shifted from programmes focused only on former fighters to broader community-based peacebuilding efforts.
“No individual can be successfully reintegrated in isolation,” Nascimento said.
He stressed that successful reintegration depends on communities, civil society organisations, local authorities and the private sector.
Nascimento also described the inclusion of state-specific SOPs as a significant achievement because Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara face unique security challenges requiring locally driven responses.
UN Calls for Better Public Awareness
Wońosikou described the validation exercise as another milestone in Nigeria’s peacebuilding efforts.
“The validation of these SOPs represents another significant milestone in Nigeria’s DDR journey,” she said.
She added that the initiative demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment to building a nationally owned, coordinated and accountable DDR system capable of preventing renewed violence and promoting long-term stability.
She also clarified that while the programme offers eligible individuals opportunities to disengage from violence and reintegrate into society, authorities will continue prosecuting suspects responsible for serious crimes.
Furthermore, she urged stakeholders to adopt a coordinated communication strategy to counter misinformation and improve public understanding of the DDR programme.
