President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the establishment of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
The centre to be domiciled at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) will have retired Maj.Gen. AM Dikko as its Pioneer Coordinator.
The announcement was made in a statement signed on Monday by the Head, Strategic Communication, Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakariya Usman.
Usman said the NCCSALW had replaced the defunct Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons(SALW) and shall serve as the institutional mechanism for policy guidance, research, and monitoring of all aspects of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in Nigeria.
He said the decision was part of ongoing restructuring of Nigeria’s security architecture to address emerging threats and strengthen regional mechanism for the control, prevention and regulation of SALW.
According to the him, the impact of the proliferation of SALW across national borders in Africa and the Sahel region has resulted in terrorism, human trafficking, organised crime, and insurrections in West Africa and Nigeria.
“Therefore, as one of the measures in tackling this threat, the new Centre will be fulfilling the requirements of the ECOWAS Moratorium on Import, Export, and Manufacture of Light Weapons as well as the UN Plan of Action to prevent, combat, and eradicate the illicit trade in SALW.
“The NCCSALW will serve as the National Focal Point on SALW in Nigeria and lead a multi-stakeholder process involving government Ministries, Departments, Agencies and the civil societies in implementing all national, UN and ECOWAS Plans of Action on the control of SALW.
“The Centre will maintain international cooperation and also operate zonal offices in the six geopolitical zones to ensure quick response and effective mobilisation of resources,” he said.
President Buhari earlier in August 2020 approved the establishment of the center.
The National Security Adviser said the center will be similar to the counter-terrorism centre and the cybersecurity centre, both of which are domiciled under his office.
“The pioneer coordinator has vast experience working with the ECOWAS and the UN system and is expected to operationalise the objectives of the NCCSALW,” he said.
