The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has identified the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons as a major driver of banditry, terrorism, communal violence and other forms of insecurity across Nigeria.
Ribadu made the remarks on Thursday in Abuja at a workshop on lessons learnt from Nigeria’s 2016 National Baseline Survey on Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons.
The workshop was organised by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).
Represented by the Director of External Affairs in the Office of the NSA, Solomon Feyintola, Ribadu said illicit weapons were sustaining violent criminal activities in different parts of the country.
He said the weapons were fuelling banditry in the North-West, communal and farmer-herder conflicts in the North-Central, while strengthening criminal networks and the operational capacity of terrorist and insurgent groups in the North-East.
“The proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons is not an abstract policy concern. It is a deadly threat to the safety of our people,” Ribadu said.
He added that behind the statistics on illicit weapons were communities that had lost their peace, families that had lost loved ones and livelihoods that had been destroyed.
The NSA stressed that Nigeria’s response to illicit arms proliferation must be based on credible and up-to-date data rather than estimates.
Ribadu recalled that the 2016 National Baseline Survey provided important information on the scale and nature of illicit weapons proliferation and contributed to the formulation of national policies, including the establishment of the NCCSALW and development of a National Action Plan.
However, he said Nigeria must first conduct an honest assessment of the previous exercise before embarking on a new national survey.
“Before we launch into the next National Baseline Survey, we owe ourselves the discipline of an honest review. What worked? What did not? And what must be done differently this time?” he asked.
According to Ribadu, a credible new baseline survey would strengthen efforts to combat illicit arms proliferation, improve counter-proliferation and disarmament strategies, and enhance the ability of security agencies to track the movement of illegal weapons within Nigeria and across its borders.
He called for the participation of security agencies, state and local governments, traditional and religious institutions, civil society organisations and local communities in the proposed survey.
Ribadu also stressed the importance of international cooperation, particularly technical support from UNODA and the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa.
He expressed confidence that the workshop would produce practical lessons from the 2016 exercise and a clear roadmap for conducting a credible and comprehensive new national survey.
Earlier, the Director-General of NCCSALW, retired DIG Johnson Kokumo, said Nigeria’s security landscape had changed significantly since the last baseline survey.
He noted that new forms of criminality had emerged, while trafficking routes and methods had evolved, making current data essential to understanding the illicit arms situation.
Kokumo said the new survey should provide detailed information on the nature, scale, distribution, sources and drivers of illicit weapons proliferation.
“It must provide an in-depth basis for understanding the evolving small arms and light weapons landscape, identifying priority areas for intervention, strengthening our national risk assessment and supporting evidence-based policy decisions,” he said.
Also speaking, Dr Adedeji Ebo, Director/Deputy High Representative of UNODA, said Nigeria could not effectively assess its current security threats using data from 2016 alone.
Ebo said reliable data was essential to determine the number and types of illicit weapons in circulation, identify trafficking routes, understand who possessed the weapons and assess their impact on communities.
“Government interventions designed without aggregated and reliable data risk not being deployed in the areas where they are most needed,” he said
He urged Nigerian authorities to ensure that the new survey was rigorous, inclusive and properly integrated into the country’s existing arms-control framework.
Ebo also advocated the involvement of traditional and religious leaders, women, youths, farmers, fishers, artisanal producers and survivors of armed violence in the survey process.
He said the exercise could further position Nigeria as a regional centre for research, capacity building and training on illicit arms control.
According to Ebo, UNODA remains committed to supporting Nigeria beyond the validation of the survey, including through technical assistance and efforts to translate its findings into effective policies.
