On Tuesday, 21 March 2023, President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned the new Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the National Counterterrorism Centre (NCTC) building complex in Abuja.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno, welcomed attendees to the event and stated that the changing security landscape over the last three decades in Nigeria and across the world has required ONSA’s mandate to be expanded to address emerging security threats.
While ONSA’s core mandate is to assess the country’s security concerns and advise the President on all matters related to national security, Monguno stated that the dynamic nature of global and domestic security environments has necessitated the modification and expansion of some of ONSA’s functions.
The Terrorism Prevention Act amendments in 2011, 2013, and 2022 have broadened ONSA’s counterterrorism responsibilities.
The new ONSA and NCTC building complex has world-class hall, conference rooms, team rooms, laboratories, an auditorium, and an operations/crises centre.
The facility will house all key departments to optimally discharge the functions of ONSA.
The establishment of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, the Cybersecurity Coordination Centre, the NCTC, and the upgrade of the Intelligence Fusion Centre (IFC) were some of the developments that generated the need for a larger, more secure, and better-equipped facility to accommodate the additional workforce and improved technological capabilities of the Centre.
President Buhari praised his administration’s investment strategy in legacy infrastructure projects, stating that the conceptualization, design, and development of the new ONSA and NCTC buildings were based on his vision of ensuring a robust national security enterprise for the country.
He expressed confidence that the commissioning of the new ONSA and NCTC buildings would enhance the desired peaceful and secure environment for the country.
Attendees included service chiefs, heads of the security and intelligence community, ministers, legislators, and representatives of bilateral and multilateral partners from the UN, AU, ECOWAS and other foreign missions.
