By SUMAILA OGBAJE

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, says proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons is sustaining banditry, terrorism and communal violence in Nigeria.

Ribadu stated this on Thursday in Abuja at a one-day 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 partnership with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).

The NSA, represented by Mr Solomon Feyintola, Director, External Affairs, Office of the NSA, said illicit weapons also fuelled organised crime and strengthened the operational capacity of terrorist groups.

He described the proliferation of illicit weapons as “a deadly threat to the safety of our people”, stressing that government’s response must be based on credible evidence.

“It sustains banditry in the North-West, fuels communal and farmer-herder conflicts across the North-Central, arms criminal networks in our cities and sustains the operational capacity of terrorist and insurgent groups in the North-East,” he said.

Ribadu said the 2016 baseline survey provided Nigeria with a comprehensive picture of the scale and character of illicit weapons proliferation.

He said its findings led to the establishment of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons and guided the National Action Plan.

However, the NSA said Nigeria must critically examine the methodology, coordination and implementation challenges encountered during the 2016 exercise before embarking on a new 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 said.

Ribadu identified an accurate baseline as a strategic national security asset capable of strengthening counter-proliferation efforts and tracking the movement of illicit weapons across Nigeria’s borders and communities.

He called for a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach involving security agencies, sub-national governments, traditional and religious institutions, civil society organisations and communities.

The NSA also acknowledged the importance of international partnerships, particularly the support of the UNODA and the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa.

He expressed confidence that the workshop would produce practical lessons and a roadmap for conducting a credible new national survey.

Earlier, the Director-General of the NCCSALW, retired DIG Johnson Kokumo, said Nigeria’s security environment had evolved significantly since the 2016 survey.

Kokumo said new forms of criminality had emerged, while trafficking routes and methods had changed, making a fresh assessment of the illicit arms landscape imperative.

He said the forthcoming survey must provide an in-depth understanding of 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.

He said the survey should ultimately contribute to creating a safer and more secure Nigeria.

Also speaking, Dr Adedeji Ebo, Director/Deputy High Representative, UNODA, said Nigeria could not conduct an effective national threat analysis in 2026 based solely on data from 2016.

Ebo said reliable data was critical to understanding the number and types of illicit weapons in circulation, their routes, possession and 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 Nigeria to ensure that the new survey was methodologically rigorous, inclusive and integrated into existing national arms-control systems.

Ebo said traditional and religious leaders, women, youth, farmers, fishers, artisanal producers and survivors of armed violence should contribute to the survey process.

He also said Nigeria could leverage the exercise to position itself as a regional centre of excellence for arms research, capacity building and training across Africa.

According to him, UNODA remains committed to supporting Nigeria beyond the validation of the survey findings, including technical assistance and translating the findings into policy. (NAN)