A Bill seeking to Establish a National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons charged with the responsibility to coordinate and implement activities to combat the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria (HB. 10) has passed second reading in the House of Representatives. The Bill intends to domesticate the provisions of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons signed by Nigeria in June 2006.

Leading the debate on the Bill at the plenary session of Thursday, 11 July 2019, Hon. Mohammed Tahir Monguno (APC: Borno) stated that the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) across Nigeria and West Africa posed a systematic threat to the country’s long-term socio-economic development. He however mentioned that establishing a Commission to deal with the insecurity challenges associated with the illegal possession of small arms would assist in mopping up small arms and light weapons from non-state actors.

His debate also highlighted some of the functions of the Commission to include:

1. Promoting the removal of arms from society through the collection, storage, destruction, management and stockpiling of small arms and light weapons;
2. Controlling the manufacture of small arms and light weapons by monitoring and regulating the activities of the local arms manufacturers;
3. Registration of small arms and light weapons and arms used in peacekeeping operations;
4. Updating the register of small arms and light weapons before transmitting same to ECOWAS, the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN);
5. Establishing programmes of action to prevent; combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons; and
6. Sensitizing the public on the need to submit illegally held small arms and light weapons to security services.

Hon. Mongonu concluded by adding that a National Commission against the proliferation of arms would help Nigeria conform its practices in accordance with the multilateral instruments agreed to regionally and internationally. Furthermore, Member States in ECOWAS, AU and the UN would be equipped to compile and analyze small arms and light weapons data that could feed into national policies aimed at reducing proliferation.

Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha (APC: Abia), lent support to the passage of the Bill in her contribution that leaving weapons in the hands of non-state actors had continually fueled kidnappings and assassinations in the country. She also supported the Bill on the grounds that the Commission would complement efforts of the police who have been outstretched by the menace.

The Bill has been referred to the Committee on National Security and Intelligence (when constituted) for further legislative action. It would be recalled that a similar Bill was introduced in the 8^th House of Representative and referred to the same Standing Committee. However, the Committee failed to take any action on the Bill in the 8^th Assembly.

FIND BELOW THE LINK TO THE BILL

HB 10: National Commission against the Proliferation Of Small Arms and Light Weapons Bill, 2019