The Zamfara State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to preventing and countering violent extremism as well as supporting reparation efforts aimed at ending all forms of violence in the state.
This was disclosed by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Malam Abubakar Mohammad Nakwada, during the opening ceremony of a two-day training workshop on violence prevention and policy dialogue held on Thursday in Gusau, the state capital.
The workshop, jointly organised by the Zamfara State Government, the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser, and the Government of Colombia, brought together key stakeholders across the state as part of coordinated efforts to restore peace and promote healing in Zamfara and across the North West region.
“This gathering is timely and crucial in our collective quest to restore peace, promote healing, and build lasting security not just in Zamfara, but across the northwest region,” the SSG said.
He also noted the significance of the workshop’s focus on integral reparation for victims of terrorism, a subject he described as “often overlooked in security discourse.”
“Behind every statistic lies a person whose life has been tragically altered,” Malam Nakwada emphasized.
He highlighted that, in addition to kinetic measures such as the establishment of the Zamfara Community Protection Guards (Askarawa), the state government remains committed to deploying non-kinetic solutions to address security challenges, particularly those that may emerge as recommendations from the ongoing workshop.
“Our state has suffered over a decade of insecurity stemming from terrorism, banditry, and other forms of violent extremism, which have devastated communities, displaced families, and inflicted deep emotional and structural wounds.”
“In addition to the significant kinetic support being extended to conventional security agencies, this administration is committed to implementing other non-kinetic strategies across all levels of governance and community engagement as may be developed during this training,” he added.
Malam Nakwada also urged participants to propose actionable, grassroots-driven recommendations that directly tackle the root causes of violent extremism. He emphasized the need to counter extremist ideologies through targeted and locally adapted messaging.
“We cannot limit our actions to treating symptoms. We must courageously address the underlying causes—whether ideological, economic, political, or social.”
“Extremist ideologies flourish through propaganda. We must therefore develop credible, locally grounded counter-narratives using various media platforms, including religious channels, to expose falsehoods and inspire hope,” the SSG stated.
Prior to the commencement of the workshop, His Excellency, the Deputy Governor, Malam Mani Malam Mummuni, received the South-South Technical Mission of Colombia on a courtesy visit. The delegation is facilitating the training programme, and is led by Ambassador Mairo Musa Abbas, alongside the head of the Colombian delegation, Mr. Garcia Sebatiane, and other critical partners.
Speaking during the visit, the Deputy Governor, on behalf of Governor Dauda Lawal, warmly welcomed the delegation and described the initiative as timely and strategic.
“You have come at a very critical time when our administration is leaving no stone unturned in its efforts to find lasting peace among our communities. I would like to assure you that the Zamfara State Government welcomes this development,” the Deputy Governor noted.
In her remarks earlier, Ambassador Abbas commended Governor Dauda Lawal for his unwavering commitment to peace and resilience, describing him as a true peace ambassador.
She also thanked the Governor for donating a befitting facility in Tsafe Local Government Area to serve as the Northwest Centre for Operation Safe Corridor, a deradicalization and rehabilitation initiative for bandits who voluntarily and unconditionally surrender their arms.
