Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the African Union’s Counter-Terrorism Centre warn that terrorist groups across West Africa and the Sahel increasingly use digital tools to recruit, raise funds, and coordinate attacks. The alerts are discussed in the context of a regional training event in Abuja focused on identifying and disrupting terrorists’ use of information and communication technologies.
The outlets report that officials cite social media for propaganda and radicalisation, and cryptocurrencies and other mobile-based channels to move and conceal funds. They also point to claims that groups may use dark web marketplaces to procure weapons, satellite links to communicate beyond security networks, and drones across borders. One source also highlights that artificial intelligence can be used to tailor propaganda more quickly and at lower cost, enabling small cells to operate faster than agencies can respond.
Across the reporting, Ribadu and AU officials stress the need for specialised training, improved technical capacity, and stronger regional coordination and intelligence-sharing with public and private partners to anticipate and disrupt threats before they materialise.
