Nigeria as a member of ECOWAS, has expressed a strong commitment to countering the threat posed by the illegal circulation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) within its borders and the surrounding region.
This was made known by the Deputy Commissioner of Police Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, who serves as the Director General of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons.
He made these remarks during the ECOWAS Coordination Meeting of the National Commissions on Small Arms holding in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
A statement by the Director Strategic Communications and Information, NCCSALW, Group Captain Pius Okwuego said the meeting reinforces the joint efforts towards curbing the menace of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and improvised explosive devices, which presents a pressing security challenge facing the region.
Nigeria’s representative said “the meeting offers an opportunity to review and harmonize national initiatives, to enhance effectiveness in implementing the ECOWAS Convention on SALW and to develop cohesive strategies to address the complex threats.
“The Nigerian Government has consistently demonstrated its resolve to continue to counter the proliferation of small arms and light weapons. In May 2021, it established the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons as an interim measure to proactively address the proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the country and to align with international and regional commitments on arms control.”
“In a landmark development in June this year, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assented to the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Act 2024. With this legal backing, the NCCSALW is now empowered to serve as Nigeria’s primary agency in SALW control, with a mandate to coordinate initiatives at all levels and ensure compliance with our regional and international commitments, such as the ECOWAS Convention and the UN Programme of Action on SALW,” Kokumo explained.
Speaking in his capacity as the Chairman of the meeting, the Director- General of Nigeria’s National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, NCCSALW, Babatunde Kokumo emphasized the importance of collective action in addressing the proliferation of illicit arms and IEDs across the region.
The Meeting with the theme “Countering Improvised Explosive Devices, Promoting Administration and Management of Small Arms and Light Weapons, and Regulating Craft Weapons Production in the ECOWAS Region” is an avenue for ECOWAS nations to strengthen collective security framework especially in tacking the circulation of SALW.
The ECOWAS Coordination Meeting of National Commission Small Arms has commenced on Tuesday in Abuja, Nigeria, and ends on 31st October 2024.
The regional meeting aims to review and harmonise national initiatives for the effective implementation of the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW).
The focus is to promote administration and management of SALW, and regulating craft weapon production within the ECOWAS.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
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