Breaking News: President Tinubu Signs Historic Legislation to Combat Small Arms Proliferation
September 17th, 2024
In a landmark move, President Bola Tinubu has signed into law the establishment of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW). This decisive action aims to curb the spread of illicit arms in Nigeria and the West African region.
National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, announced the signing at the Workshop on Gender Mainstreaming in Abuja, emphasizing the centre’s crucial role in preventing arms proliferation. Represented by Ambassador Ibrahim Babani, Ribadu revealed that NCCSALW has already retrieved:
– 3,383 decommissioned, unserviceable, obsolete, and illicit small arms and light weapons
– 26,749 various calibers of ammunition from government arms-bearing agencies
The centre plans to conduct an Arms Destruction Exercise later this quarter to permanently remove recovered arms from circulation.
This legislation marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s fight against small arms trafficking, building upon the National Assembly’s 2021 bill to establish a national centre for coordinating and controlling small arms proliferation ¹.
*What This Means for Nigeria and West Africa*
The NCCSALW will play a vital role in:
– Preventing arms smuggling and terrorism
– Promoting regional stability and security
– Supporting gender mainstreaming initiatives to address the disproportionate impact of arms proliferation on women and children
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