The Federal Government has approved the establishment of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW).
The new center will be domiciled
in the office of the National Security Adviser and Retired Major General AM
Dikko has been appointed as 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 decision is part
of the ongoing restructuring of Nigeria’s security architecture.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has
approved the establishment of a National Centre for the Control of Small Arms
and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) to be domiciled in the Office of the National
Security Adviser.
“The NCCSALW replaces the
defunct Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons 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.
“This decision is part of the
ongoing restructuring of Nigeria’s security architecture to address emerging
threats and strengthen the regional mechanism for the control, prevention, and
regulation of SALW.
“The impact of the proliferation
of SALW across national borders in Africa and the Sahel region has resulted in
terrorism, human trafficking, organized 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 statement read
in part.
The statement added that 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 Society 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 mobilization of
resources.
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.
Source: channelstv.com
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