Officials of the United States Centre for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications currently in Nigeria have visited the Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC) in Abuja and pledged to support the Centre in realising its set objectives.

Speaking on behalf of the team, the Deputy Coordinator, Partnership Engagement and Outreach, of the US Centre for Counterterrorism Comunication, Mr Stevie Hamilton, noted with satisfaction the level of professionalism, commitment and diligence with which the Nigeria’s CCC approaches the onerous task of communicating and managing crisis in Nigeria.

The delegation promised to provide necessary technical support to assist the CCC to grow.

Hamilton said: “It is heart-warming to know that a centre of this nature exists in the country and more importantly that it is able to do the kind of work it is doing. I have no doubt in my kind that given the necessary support in terms of capacity, resource and institutional backing, the centre will certainly bridge the gap in the access to information that will aid in preventing, managing or mitigating crisis in the country, and how the rest of the world view Nigeria.

“I am really impressed with what you have set out to achieve, what have been achieved already and indeed your sheer determination to succeed in the face of challenges that might be on your way as an NGO. We have similar Centre in the US, the Centre for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications, and that’s where am coming from. The whole idea is to find a common ground where we can provide you the necessary assistance to enable you achieve your set objectives and more importantly to serve humanity.”

Earlier in his welcome remarks, CCC Executive Secretary, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas (Rtd), thanked the officials for finding time to visit the office.

He explained that the Centre came to being in response to the need to fill an existing gap in crisis communication in Nigeria.

Centre for Crisis Communication is actively involved in collecting, collating, processing, harmonising and disseminating information on any crisis or potential crisis situation in the country, which he said is with a view to providing credible and professional crisis communication to the general public.

“The objective,” he said, “is for the Centre to evolve proactive measures and establish systematic approach to crisis communication to fill the existing communication gap.”

Anas added that the Centre has as its stakeholders all the security and response agencies in Nigeria, which it interfaces with to provide strategic crisis communication.

He expressed the willingness of the Centre to partner with credible organisations like the US Centre for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications as leverage to building its own capacity and quality of services.

It will be recalled that the US Special Envoy for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications, Mr Rashad Hussain recently led his team including Stevie Hamilton to a meeting with Vice President Yemi Osibanjo in the State House.

•Photo shows Executive Secretary, Centre for Crisis Communication, Air Commodore Yusuf Anas (Rtd), (R) in a handshake with Stevie Hamilton of Centre for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications of the US State Department while Jemila Fagge looks on.