EDITORIAL: Security-Sector Governance in Nigeria (Part 2)-Countering Terrorism with Technology in Nigeria – Now or Never!

Nigeria’s battle against terrorism and violent extremism has endured for more than a decade, yet traditional military operations have proved inadequate. Groups such as Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Jama’at Nusrat al Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), and other non-state actors have rapidly adopted and weaponised modern technologies. We at PENPUSHING Media believe that their evolving tactics demand a new era of technology driven counterterrorism.

On 12 December 2025, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, observed that bandits and terrorists were now able to communicate and coordinate their activities undetected because of persistent weaknesses in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure. These vulnerabilities, he warned, present both developmental obstacles and serious national security risks.

Only a week earlier, the Director General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr Matthew Adepoju, revealed that terrorist groups had migrated from conventional mobile networks to satellite-based communication systems, making their communications even complex to intercept.

Compounding these concerns is the rise of terrorism financing through digital channels and the increasing use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), widely known as drones. ISWAP, in particular, has been linked to the hijacking and modification of commercial drones for attack missions, including the delivery of explosives and battlefield reconnaissance.

Research from the Nigerian Defence Academy indicates that drones significantly enhance intelligence collection and facilitate precision strikes in difficult terrains. These developments represent a troubling shift towards cyber enabled terrorism.

It is our opinion at PENPUSHING Media that the message is clear: terrorism in Nigeria has evolved into a multi-dimensional, technology driven threat, one that cannot be effectively countered by security forces operating without advanced digital and military technological capabilities.

Of course, we acknowledge that this reality informed the launch of the Counter Terrorism Technology (CT TECH+) initiative in April 2025, when the Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Maj Gen Adamu Laka, noted that the digital age had opened new pathways for terrorist exploitation. From artificial intelligence and autonomous systems to encrypted communication tools and blockchain based financing, emerging technologies have lowered barriers for extremist groups. Consequently, Nigeria revised its National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST) and introduced the NCTC Strategic Plan 2025–2030.

Through CT TECH+, and in partnership with the UN Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT) and Interpol, Nigeria has deployed biometric systems and digital surveillance tools to map terror financing networks and recruitment pathways, particularly those embedded in cash based economies, mobile money systems, and encrypted online platforms.

Yet, despite significant investments, terrorist attacks and mass abductions, especially of schoolchildren, continue to rise in parts of the country. This raises an important question: Is Nigeria investing in the right technologies? Dr Adepoju offered insight when he noted that Nigeria’s existing satellites are primarily imagers designed for static imagery rather than real time video surveillance. Both the military satellite and the one launched by NASRDA merely pass over Nigeria during orbital cycles rather than providing continuous, dedicated national monitoring.

Given the scale of the threat, PENPUSHING Media believes that Nigeria cannot confront this challenge in isolation. The government must actively seek collaboration with friendly nations, development partners, and international organisations that have demonstrable expertise in technology enabled counterterrorism. Equally important is harnessing the expertise of Nigerians in the diaspora: cybersecurity specialists, artificial intelligence engineers, and defence technology professionals who can contribute to developing relevant robust domestic technology systems.

A successful national response also demands urgent multi-agency collaboration. The National Assembly, ONSA, the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, the Ministry of Defence, the NCTC, and other relevant ministries, departments and agencies must work together to design a comprehensive technology driven counterterrorism blueprint. Such a plan should include legislative reforms, clear funding mechanisms, and operational guidelines for deploying artificial intelligence, UAVs, advanced surveillance systems, and digital intelligence tools across security agencies.

There are important lessons to draw from global best practice. Countries such as Israel, Singapore, the United States, and India have experience in integrated AI powered analytics, biometric border systems, and drone-based surveillance to dismantle terror cells and prevent attacks. Nigeria must study these models carefully and adapt them to suit its own terrain, governance structures, and socio- political realities.

A critical priority is the integration of military grade UAVs into Nigeria’s counter insurgency operations. Enhanced digital surveillance is essential, but any expansion of state monitoring capacity must be balanced with constitutional oversight, transparency, and protection of citizens’ rights to maintain public confidence.

For us at PENPUSHING Media, Nigeria must also address the regulatory gaps and infrastructure deficits limiting domestic UAV operations. PENPUSHING Media urges the establishment of national drone doctrines, building local manufacturing capability, particularly within military institutions, and fostering regional partnerships as essential for maximising the impact of UAV technology

PENPUSHING Media urges the Nigerian government to do more to disrupt terrorism financing. Funding is the lifeblood of extremist networks: it supports recruitment, training, logistics, and attack planning. The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) recently exposed intricate funding channels, including the use of POS agents to funnel money to extremist leaders. In 2021, the United Arab Emirates identified 38 entities allegedly financing global terrorism—six of whom were Nigerians. Yet successive governments have struggled to decisively prosecute those implicated.

Effective disruption of terror financing requires real -time monitoring, tighter collaboration between government and private sector financial institutions, and international intelligence cooperation. Strengthening fintech regulations through AI driven monitoring tools, blockchain analysis technologies, and cross- border data sharing frameworks will be critical.

We believe artificial intelligence offers additional opportunities. AI powered systems can identify extremist messaging patterns, detect suspicious financial activities, and map online radicalisation pathways. As Nigeria increasingly adopts digital systems, from fintech to healthtech, its cybersecurity architecture has become inseparable from its counterterrorism strategy. To safeguard critical infrastructure and block digital terror financing, PENPUSHING Media holds the view that Nigeria must invest in resilient, AI enabled cybersecurity tools.

Ultimately, countering terrorism must be holistic, not a cherry-picking exercise. It can not rely solely on military interventions or disjointed technological upgrades. A successful strategy will integrate community engagement, good governance, institutional reform, and advanced technology. Without such an approach, technology itself risks becoming part of the problem.

PENPUSHING Media demands that Nigeria’s strategic priorities for a technology enabled counterterrorism framework should include a dedicated defence technology funding mechanism, a national security data fusion centre, sovereign satellite systems with persistent surveillance capacity, a robust counter drone strategy, and strong regional and cross border technology integration.

These initiatives must be shielded from political interference to guarantee sustained investment in UAVs, artificial intelligence, satellite surveillance, cyber defence tools, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems. Without reliable funding and institutional continuity, innovation will falter, and security agencies will remain reactive rather than proactive.

Nigeria’s “now or never” moment demands stronger regulatory foundations, including clear drone doctrines, data privacy standards, biometric rules, and AI oversight frameworks. Building national capability is essential, from domestic UAV production to cybersecurity training and AI driven surveillance supported by cloud infrastructure.

Progress also depends on multi sector collaboration linking security agencies, financial institutions, telecom operators, and tech firms for real -time analytics and terror financing detection while ensuring community trust through rights based, inclusive approaches.

A tech enabled Nigeria must intercept terror cells before attacks, block illicit finance using AI and blockchain tracing, protect critical infrastructure from cyber threats, and limit extremists’ ability to operate covertly.

Technology and innovation have already shifted the balance between state and non-state actors. Terrorists wield drones, smartphones, and encrypted finance. Nigeria risks falling irreversibly behind without strategic adoption of counter-technologies.

This is not a question of if, but when. Nigeria stands at a crossroads: embrace the digital shield now or risk ceding ground to darker forces.

For us at the PENPUSHING Media, the time to act is now. The window is narrow. It is truly now or never.

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