November 24, (THEWILL) – The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (retd), on Thursday, blamed the proliferation of small and light weapons in Africa on the failure of the global community.
The NSA spoke in Kaduna, during the destruction of over 3,000 small arms recovered from across the country by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
The arms were destroyed at the Nigerian Army Command Engineering Depot on Thursday, in Kaduna.
Represented by Amb. Aminu Lawal, Director, Policy and Strategy, Office of the NSA, Monguno said the proliferation of SALW was a major source of vulnerability in society.
“It stood out as a key driver of violent conflict, crime and terrorism within and beyond Nigeria’s borders”, he added.
The NSA noted that the failure of the global community to control the availability of illicit SALW had continued to undermine global peace and significantly hinder development, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
“It has become a major source of vulnerability in our society and stands out as a key driver of violent conflict, crime and terrorism within and beyond our borders.
“The failure of the global community to control the availability of illicit SALW, I dare say, has continued to undermine global peace and significantly hinder development, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.
“We recognize the complexity of the challenge of controlling the proliferation of SALW in Nigeria and the requirement for concerted action between the government, international community and all well-meaning civil society organisations.
“Nonetheless, we are resolved to galvanise our strengths and unity as a nation to confront this monstrous challenge and I am optimistic that we shall overcome it”, he said.
Monguno described the establishment of the NCCSALW in 2021 by President Muhammadu Buhari, as a historic step towards addressing the problem of small arms proliferation through an institutional platform that would structurally address all underlying contributors.
Earlier, the National Coordinator of NCCSALW, retired Maj.-Gen. Abba Dikko, said the event was the first arms destruction exercise organised by the centre since its establishment.
Dikko said the key objective was to prevent captured illicit weapons from being recycled into society.
He said it was also to meet Nigeria’s obligations on weapons destruction under various international instruments, promote transparency and contribute to the centre’s advocacy for an illicit arms-free society.
The national coordinator also said the exercise highlighted the dangers of excess, poorly secured, and illegal weapons, and the need to destroy them to reduce their proliferation and misuse.
“It also underscores the Nigerian Government’s commitment to transparent documentation and destruction of captured, surrendered and recovered illicit firearms”, he said.
