NCTC, UNODC launch working group to tackle criminal and terrorist financing in Nigeria’s mineral sector

The National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), in partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and supported by the Government of Canada, has inaugurated a Technical Working Group (TWG) aimed at combating mineral-related crime and terrorist financing in Nigeria.

The initiative comes amid growing concerns that Nigeria’s mineral sector — especially artisanal and small-scale gold mining — is being exploited by criminal syndicates and terrorist groups. These networks have been linked to illegal mining, cross-border smuggling, arms trafficking and money laundering, undermining government revenue and fuelling insecurity across several regions.

According to officials, the new TWG will bring together law enforcement, intelligence agencies, strategic ministries and the Presidential Artisanal Gold Mining Initiative (PAGMI) to coordinate national responses, strengthen criminal justice capabilities, and support policy reforms that target illicit financial flows tied to terrorism financing.

The group will also work to enhance community resilience in mining regions while promoting gender equality and human rights in government interventions.

Speaking at the inauguration, NCTC National Coordinator, Major General Adamu Garba Laka, represented by Ambassador Mairo Musa Abbas, said the government remained committed to cutting off terrorist financing at its sources, including the mineral value chain.

He warned that illegal mining had evolved into a major security threat.
“Criminal syndicates and violent extremist elements have increasingly targeted our mineral resources. This is a lived reality in several parts of the country where illegal mining intersects with banditry, insurgency, arms trafficking and smuggling,” he said.
“Protecting these resources is not only a security imperative but also an economic and sovereign duty.”

UNODC Country Representative, Cheikh Toure, represented by Tom Parker, praised Nigeria’s efforts and described illegal mining as a major contributor to instability.
“The creation of this interagency working group is a significant step toward reversing the trend,” he said, reaffirming UNODC’s commitment to helping Nigeria detect, investigate and prosecute financial crimes linked to organized crime and terrorism.

The project, funded by the Government of Canada, will support collaboration between NCTC, UNODC, the EFCC, the National Financial Intelligence Unit, the Mining Marshals Corps and the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development. It aims to improve supervision in the financial sector, equip public and private actors to detect suspicious transactions, and strengthen investigations and prosecutions of money laundering and terrorism-financing cases at both federal and state levels.