Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) have pledged to strengthen institutional collaboration and international cooperation to combat the trafficking and proliferation of illicit arms.
The commitment followed a meeting between the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the Director-General of NCCSALW, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Johnson Babatunde Kokumo (rtd.), at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
During the meeting, Odumegwu-Ojukwu described the proliferation of small arms and light weapons as a major threat to national security, regional stability and sustainable development.
She identified terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and communal violence as security challenges aggravated by the circulation of illicit weapons, stressing the need to tackle cross-border arms trafficking, local artisanal production and the diversion of weapons from government stockpiles.
The minister called for stronger intelligence sharing, improved weapons tracing and closer coordination with neighbouring countries and international partners, particularly across the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin.
She also urged that arms control and weapons-tracing cooperation be incorporated into the ongoing dialogue between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Confederation of Sahel States (AES).
Reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to regional and international arms-control frameworks, Odumegwu-Ojukwu highlighted the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, the African Union’s Silencing the Guns initiative, the Arms Trade Treaty and relevant United Nations instruments.
She further emphasised the importance of inter-agency coordination in securing weapons stockpiles, investigating diversion, strengthening end-user verification and preventing illicit weapons from re-entering circulation.
The minister also advocated greater public awareness involving traditional institutions, community leaders and women’s groups, while calling for measures to prevent youth recruitment into criminal networks and strengthen deradicalisation efforts.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu pledged the ministry’s support in preparing Nigeria’s positions for relevant international engagements and facilitating cooperation with international partners to advance the country’s arms-control priorities.
Earlier, Kokumo outlined the centre’s efforts to trace intercepted weapons, investigate trafficking networks, secure government stockpiles and destroy recovered illicit arms. He also sought stronger diplomatic support to advance the centre’s mandate.
Both parties agreed on the need for stronger institutional partnerships, improved technical responses and coordinated diplomatic engagement to address the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed its readiness to support NCCSALW through sustained inter-agency coordination and enhanced international cooperation.
