The German Embassy in Abuja has launched a new policy discussion series dedicated to addressing Nigeria's persistent security challenges, kicking off with an inaugural session held late Wednesday night in the capital.
Titled “Kinetics and Non-kinetics, How to make Nigeria safe,” the event assembled a select group of experts, security officials, diplomats, policy analysts, and civil society representatives to explore balanced approaches to combating insecurity.
German Ambassador to Nigeria, Annett Günther, who convened the dialogue, described it as the first in a planned series aimed at fostering fresh ideas, deeper analysis of Nigeria’s insecurity landscape, and practical pathways forward.
“This is the first edition of the policy discussion series that we have started at the German Embassy with a very small but elaborate handpicked audience, and also handpicked panellists,” she stated.
The discussion centered on the need to integrate kinetic (military and force-based) measures with non-kinetic (stabilisation, mediation, socio-economic, and preventive) strategies.
Panellists highlighted Nigeria's diverse threats, including Boko Haram-linked insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West and North-Central regions, secessionist agitation and organised crime in the South-East, as well as underlying socio-economic drivers like poverty and unemployment.
Experts described insecurity as both a cause and a consequence of underdevelopment, noting the absence of a unified ideology among violent actors, instead driven by grievances, perceptions of marginalisation, and views of space within the Nigerian state.
They referenced Nigeria’s Counter-Terrorism Strategy (2025-2030), which emphasises addressing root causes through responsive governance.
Participants included:
Major General Adamu Garba Laka (National Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Centre), represented by Brigadier General Peter Cybor (representing the kinetic perspective).
Arne Hartig (Head of Stabilisation in Africa, German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, focusing on non-kinetic approaches).
Bimba Thomas Jr (Nigeria Country Manager, Institute for Integrated Transitions, bringing NGO and analytical insights).
Ambassador Günther stressed that no single quick fix or one-size-fits-all solution exists: “From all the discussions, there’s no one quick fix or one-size-fits-all solution for the problem because all these actors that were present have to work together. Be it the security forces, stabilisation actors, the community, the police, diplomats, media, civil society, everyone is involved to bring in their specific tools to address insecurity in the country.”
Germany’s ongoing contributions were highlighted, including support for disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration (DDR) processes, community mediation, and prevention facilities in northern Nigeria.
Hartig noted Germany’s global investment of over €300 million annually in crisis prevention, stabilisation, and peacebuilding, with efforts to disrupt the criminal economies fueling banditry in the North-West.
The dialogue also touched on debates around state policing, with cautions about risks of politicisation, and called for enhanced collaboration among all stakeholders to achieve lasting security.
Ambassador Günther indicated that insights from the session would inform Germany’s future stabilisation efforts in Nigeria, sharpening existing tools and partnerships. This initiative aligns with broader German foreign policy priorities of promoting security, freedom, and prosperity through international cooperation, amid Nigeria’s multifaceted security crisis.
The policy discussion series is expected to continue, providing a platform for sustained engagement on making Nigeria safer.
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