By Joy Baba
As a way of stemming the spread of violent extremism in youths and as part of the soft approach to countering terrorism, the Federal Government is planning to tinker with national school curriculum for more productivity.
Already, extensive assessments of schools across Northern Nigeria has been conducted in order to gain a better understanding of the state of education, so says National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, when he addressed the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOG) of the United Nations in New York, on Monday.
The Soft approach was developed to complement the pounding of the terrorists by the military in what can be described as the “carrot and stick” method which has been recommended by some experts on counter terrorism across the world.
The Council had invited Dasuki to elaborate on the non-military aspect of Nigeria’s Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) program also known as the Soft Approach to countering terrorism which was first unveiled to Nigerians on March 18, 2014
“We have conducted extensive assessments of schools across Northern Nigeria, in order to gain a better understanding of the state of education. We have now begun preliminary consultations with the Ministry of Education with regard to potential changes to the national curriculum and will be hosting an Education Summit, bringing together key stakeholders and policy-makers”, he said.
“The Soft CVE programme has four basic aspects, which include: De-radicalization, Strategic Communication, Counter Radicalisation and Economic Regeneration”, he narrated.
Dasuki told his audience “we are beginning to make real progress but are aware that these are but the early stages of what must be an extensive and all-encompassing set of interventions”.
Dasuki thanked members of the international community that has supported Nigeria’s fight against terrorism but reminded his audience that “no nation has the monopoly of knowledge especially when it comes to dealing with terrorism” as could be attested by Great Britain, Columbia, Spain and Iraq.
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