Time to End Terrorism is Now

Abuja has never really been a stranger to diplomacy. Its corridors often echo with promises of reform, security, and progress. But this time, the United Nations isn’t just offering support—it’s seeking a seat at the table. A permanent one.

In a decisive shift, the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) has opened discussions with Nigeria’s Interior Ministry to establish a standing office in Abuja. The goal? To confront terrorism and transnational threats with the urgency—and proximity—they demand.

For years, Nigeria has remained on the frontlines of violent extremism. Boko Haram and ISWAP have turned the nation’s northeastern states into battlegrounds. Their reach, however, is no longer limited to remote regions. With recent attacks encroaching on the capital, including the high-profile Kuje prison break just miles from the international airport, Abuja’s security calculus has changed.

This is where the UN’s “Abuja Process” walks in. More than a policy framework, it’s a blueprint for deepening regional cooperation, sharing intelligence, and deploying resources swiftly where they’re needed most. A permanent UN presence would elevate Nigeria’s response beyond its national capacity, embedding it within a wider West African—and global—network of security coordination.

Some critics believe that the move risks entrenching foreign influence in domestic affairs. Others see it as overdue. The truth is that Nigeria ranks among the countries most affected by terrorism globally. The humanitarian cost is staggering: displaced families, devastated economies, and the haunting use of children as instruments of war.

But this initiative is not about optics or symbolism. It is about ending the slow bleed of terror that has defined too much of Nigeria’s recent history. By making Abuja a nerve centre for international counter-terrorism efforts, the UN is not offering charity—it is forging a partnership rooted in mutual interest and regional stability.

If Nigeria is to reclaim peace, it must do so with a coalition that matches the scale of the threat. The time to end terrorism is not in the next summit or policy draft. The time is now—and this move may finally signal that Nigeria, and the world, are ready.