Nigeria is getting closer to adopting a new disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) program that aims to rehabilitate former combatants and reconnect them with society. The new program’s framework was developed with a focus on victims, communities and survivors of terrorism.
During a late November workshop in Abuja, Maj. Gen. Adamu Laka, national coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Center (NCTC), described the proposed policy, meant to end recurring cycles of conflict and rebuild trust among affected populations, as “one of Nigeria’s most people-centered peacebuilding tools in recent years,” the state-run News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported.
The updated framework is based on extensive NCTC interviews with victims of kidnapping and sexual violence, traditional rulers, women’s groups, youth organizations, security agencies, community-based groups, people displaced by violence and those who have lost their livelihoods due to terrorism.
“For more than a decade, many communities have lived with fear, loss and trauma,” Laka said in the NAN report. “This framework is not just about managing ex-combatants; it is about restoring dignity to victims, supporting communities to heal, and offering those willing to renounce violence a structured pathway to return to society.”
Victim protection, community consent and accountability are nonnegotiable aspects of the proposed program, Laka added.
Mairo Abbas, the NCTC’s director of preventing and countering violent extremism, said that reintegrating former terrorists, such as those who have left Boko Haram — which routinely attacks security forces and civilians, and kidnaps people for ransom — cannot succeed without genuine community participation.
“Communities told us what they want: safety, fairness and a process that protects victims while giving repentant individuals a genuine chance to start afresh,” Abbas said in the NAN report. “This framework reflects their voice. Social healing is as important as security. Reintegration must protect the vulnerable — especially women and children — while strengthening local resilience to prevent re-recruitment.”
During an African Union DDR workshop in March 2025, Effie Owuor, chairperson of the AU Panel of the Wise, said DDR is not just about disarmament but about ensuring combatants see a viable future.
“DDR must be perceived as credible, just, and inclusive,” Owufor said in a news release. “It must honor commitments made during peace negotiations and be linked to broader reforms in governance, justice, and economic recovery.”
The policy aims for better funding since, in the past, a lack of funding and capacity hamstrung Nigeria’s efforts to keep former Boko Haram combatants out of the forest and away from the group. Borno State-based security analyst Zagazola Makama told ADF in 2024 that former insurgents in the DDR program lived with their families with internally displaced people in camps, where they complained of hardship, lack of care, poor living conditions and hunger.
“Many had complained that the government had not fulfilled the promises it made to them at the time they surrendered,” Makama said.
DDR processes are complex. A successful one “reduces communal tension, prevents revenge attacks and restores social cohesion,” Usman Hussain, head of administration at the African Union Counter-Terrorism Center, said in a the NAN report.
Hussain lauded Nigeria’s new policy and said the AU will continue to support Nigeria with technical expertise, training and exposure to regional best practices.
“Across Africa, we see the consequences when former combatants return to violence because communities are not prepared or victims are not protected,” Hussain said in the NAN report. “Nigeria’s inclusive approach — bringing together victims, local leaders, security agencies and development partners — is exactly what the AU advocates.”
He described Nigeria’s evolving approach as a strong continental example that “has the potential to transform lives and strengthen national resilience.”
Ukoha Ukiwo, team lead at the United Kingdom-supported Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria program, said the U.K. government will also support Nigeria’s DDR efforts. The U.K. program worked closely in developing the framework with the NCTC and other Nigerian stakeholders over the past year.
“We are pleased to see Nigerians defining the path forward,” Ukiwo said in the NAN report. “This is how national ownership is built.”