*R-L:Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu and DIG Johnson Babatunde Kokumo (retd.).
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has called for stronger international cooperation to combat the illicit trafficking and proliferation of small arms and light weapons, warning that the menace threatens national security, regional stability and sustainable development.
The minister made the call on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, during a meeting with the Director-General of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), Deputy Inspector-General of Police Johnson Babatunde Kokumo (retd.), mni, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu acknowledged the strategic importance of the centre in coordinating national efforts to prevent and control the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons (SALW). She also commended its initiative to engage the ministry on strengthening institutional collaboration.
She identified terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and communal violence as security challenges aggravated by the circulation of illicit weapons, stressing the need for concerted efforts to curb their availability and movement.
The minister said addressing cross-border arms trafficking, local artisanal weapons production and the theft or diversion of firearms from government stockpiles was essential to protecting lives, restoring livelihoods and creating a secure environment for investment and development.
She reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to relevant international instruments on arms control, emphasising that effective action against illicit weapons proliferation required sustained diplomatic engagement and cooperation among countries.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also called for increased public awareness of the dangers associated with illicit small arms and light weapons, urging the involvement of traditional institutions, community leaders and women’s groups in sensitisation and prevention efforts.
While acknowledging women’s contributions to peace and security initiatives, she highlighted the need to prevent young people from being recruited into criminal networks and strengthen support for deradicalisation programmes.
The minister and the NCCSALW director-general agreed on the need to deepen institutional cooperation, improve technical responses and strengthen coordinated diplomatic efforts to tackle illicit arms trafficking and proliferation.
Their discussions underscored the importance of a coordinated national and international response to the flow of illicit weapons and the security challenges associated with their circulation.