INTERVIEW: Between one and three million small arms in circulation in Nigeria, says UNODA director

Small arms and light weapons are a major security concern in Nigeria and West Africa. The proliferation of these weapons fuels terrorism, insurgency, and armed violence by making it easier for non-state actors and terrorist groups to carry out attacks and destabilise governments. Porous borders, illegal arms trafficking, and a lack of effective control have exacerbated the issue, contributing to prolonged conflicts and high casualty rates.

In Nigeria, illicit arms proliferation has significantly empowered terrorist groups like Boko Haram and other insurgents, escalating violence and threatening regional stability. Disarmament efforts are critical to reduce these threats by collecting, destroying illicit weapons, and strengthening arms control frameworks.

In this interview, Adedeji Ebo, director and deputy to the high representative, United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), speaks with TheCable’s CLAIRE MOM about the multilateral organisation’s efforts to support peace, security and disarmament in Nigeria.

TheCable: What are UNODA’s current global priorities?

Ebo: The work of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs supports both international negotiations and practical efforts on the ground to advance disarmament across a range of areas.

Given their unparalleled destructive potential, nuclear weapons are of particular priority for the United Nations. The office also supports national, regional and international efforts to combat the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons (SALW), which continue to fuel armed violence and conflict in many regions, including West Africa and the Sahel — where Nigeria is located.

Furthermore, ODA works to reduce safety and security risks associated with conventional ammunition throughout its lifecycle. The shifting global security landscape, combined with technological developments, has also increased the urgency of addressing emerging biosecurity risks — a need underscored by the global experience with COVID-19. This includes strengthening mechanisms to anticipate, prevent, and respond to such risks, while also reinforcing the international norm against the use of biological weapons, as well as chemical weapons.

In addition, ODA supports states in addressing the implications of scientific and technological developments for international peace and security, for example, in the area of military applications of artificial intelligence, as well as information and communication technology.

To advance these priorities, ODA provides technical and substantive expertise and practical support to multilateral negotiations and deliberations. We also play a key role in fostering trust and confidence among member states, helping to bridge divergent positions in an increasingly complex international environment.

Importantly, my office also works to strengthen cooperation with international, regional, and subregional organisations in the areas of disarmament, arms control, and non-proliferation. Through its three regional centres – located in Lomé (for the Africa region), Lima (for Latin America and the Caribbean) and Kathmandu (for Asia and the Pacific) —  our branch office in Geneva and liaison office in Vienna, ODA facilitates dialogue and cooperation among states and regional entities, while also building local capacity to address disarmament challenges in partnership with civil society organisations and youth champions.

These efforts contribute to a holistic response to the risks associated with arms, supporting conflict prevention, the protection of civilians, and broader peace and security objectives. By working collaboratively across the UN system, ODA promotes the integration of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control with humanitarian, peacebuilding and development initiatives.

TheCable: How does Nigeria fit into that picture?

Ebo: Nigeria fits into that role as any member of the UN with the responsibility to contribute to the development of the UN’s global disarmament policies, and the right to benefit from the services and facilities the UNODA has to offer in all aspects of disarmament, as I have just enumerated. This applies from a global perspective as well as the continental and regional engagements of UNODA, of which Nigeria is a part, such as ECOWAS and the African Union. We can unpack some of these later in our conversation.

The United Nations does not approach disarmament as a hierarchy of threats. Each category of weapons — whether WMD, conventional, or emerging technologies — presents distinct and pressing challenges that demand attention. In reality, these are often interlinked sets of issues.

However, nuclear weapons pose an existential threat to humanity, and their elimination has been a top priority for the United Nations since its inception, and was in fact the focus of the very first general assembly resolution. The catastrophic humanitarian and environmental consequences of their use, whether intentional or accidental, underscore the urgency of advancing nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. In today’s increasingly complex geopolitical and strategic environment — marked by rising tensions, modernisation of arsenals, and erosion of arms control frameworks — the need for renewed commitment to disarmament efforts is more pressing than ever.

TheCable: One of Nigeria’s biggest security threats is that terrorist groups and criminal networks often have easy access to small arms and light weapons. From the UN’s perspective, how does this happen, and what measures are in place to cut off that flow?

Ebo: You are correct in your postulation. Research and empirical reality have shown a clear link between the spread of terrorist groups across West Africa and the rising demand for small arms and ammunition. This creates a vicious cycle of violence and instability. Data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime indicate that in the Sahel, most weapons in circulation originate within Africa and move easily across borders.

For example, firearms used in terrorist attacks in the Gulf of Guinea have been traced back to sources in the Sahel, underscoring the porous nature of regional arms flows and the urgent need for coordinated responses. This is, of course, not to imply that these weapons were produced in Africa, though some of them are indeed locally made. These weapons are not only used to carry out attacks, but also serve as commodities in illicit markets, highlighting the intersection between terrorism, small arms proliferation, and transnational organised crime.

West Africa continues to face serious challenges related to the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons. Although the clandestine nature of this issue makes precise data difficult, often not entirely reliable and outdated, available estimates are deeply concerning.

According to the African Union and small arms survey, more than 40 million small arms are currently in the hands of non-state actors across the continent — including private individuals, companies, and armed groups. Alarmingly, approximately 80 percent of these weapons are unregistered and unmarked, rendering them virtually impossible to trace. The highest concentration is found in West Africa, where nearly 11 million arms are believed to be in civilian possession. In Nigeria alone, it is estimated that between one and three million SALW are currently in circulation. I should stress, however, that these data are indicative only. Much more needs to be done to ensure the availability and accuracy of data on this rather dynamic and clandestine phenomenon. I will return to the issue of data later in our chat, as a priority on which UNODA is collaborating with the Nigerian government.

In a region marked by growing fragmentation and volatility, the illicit proliferation, diversion, and misuse of SALW not only fuel humanitarian crises and undermine state authority but also pose direct threats to the safety and security of citizens. These weapons are sourced through a variety of channels, including diversion from national stockpiles, piracy, violent extremism, smuggling, transnational crime, and local craft manufacturing. Their availability drives human rights violations and gender-based violence and contributes to a cycle of insecurity that is difficult to break. To illustrate my point, analysis by Conflict Armament Research of the stockpiles of four armed groups in the Sahel designated by the UN Security Council as terrorist organisations showed that at least one-fifth of recovered weapons had been diverted from state custody in North and West Africa.

The human cost of this crisis is staggering. In 2023, Africa recorded 176,000 homicides — the highest regional total globally — and nearly half of these were committed with firearms. In addition, political instability and armed conflict in West and Central Africa have contributed to a sharp rise in displacement, with the number of forcibly displaced and stateless persons increasing by nine percent to an estimated 13.6 million in 2024.

I would like to stress that while the scale of the problem is daunting, we are not without solutions. It is important to recognise, however, that many of the grievances that lead individuals and groups to acquire and misuse these weapons are rooted in governance deficits, including socio-economic and political exclusion and the erosion of the social contract. Indeed, as the AU High Representative for Disarmament, His Excellency Mohamed Ibn Chambas has repeatedly stressed, addressing Africa’s governance deficits is a crucial and necessary condition for ‘Silencing the Guns’. I fully agree with him, and that is a position I always like to echo.

TheCable: Nigeria has faced significant challenges with the proliferation of small arms and light weapons. What specific initiatives is UNODA supporting in Nigeria to address this?

Ebo: UNODA supports African states, including Nigeria, through its Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC), which is based in Lomé, Togo. UNREC is one of UNODA’s three regional Centres – the others are the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC) and the Regional Center for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD). As an institutional ethos, UNODA promotes regional cooperation, supports capacity-building, and engages civil society and technical experts to develop locally grounded and sustainable responses. I should emphasise that national ownership and regional ownership are the pillars of our partnerships, including with Nigeria. Our support to Nigeria is at various concentric levels, directly and indirectly.

Nigeria is part of our support network at the continental level through the African Union, with whom UNODA supports the implementation of the Silencing the Guns initiative. At the sub-regional level, UNODA supports ECOWAS within the framework of the ECOWAS Convention on SALW. In this regard, UNODA’s partnership with the ECOWAS Commission is encapsulated in an MoU signed in 2009.

As you may know, I was on official travel to Abuja from August 5 to 8. One of the objectives of that visit was indeed to review that MoU and to attempt to align it with current security challenges in West Africa and the Sahel. Therefore, beyond the SALW focus of the MOU when it was initially signed in 2009, we agreed that the memorandum of understanding should be updated and tailored to the prevailing disarmament dynamics and challenges of the region, including unmanned armed drones and malicious use of ICTs, for example. ODA also directly supports the Nigerian institutions, like the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW). More about that later.

In broader terms, the UN’s partnership with Nigeria in disarmament is anchored in international normative frameworks and treaties, which together provide the umbrella for regional and national disarmament policies.

Let me illustrate this with an example. Through initiatives like the SALW Fellowship Programme and the Ammunition Fellowship Programme, ODA contributes to strengthening technical expertise and institutional capacity across regions. These programmes help equip national stakeholders with the tools and knowledge needed to implement effective arms control measures and promote long-term stability. The SALW Fellowship training in Africa took place in Togo and Benin from October 20 to November 7, 2025.  Major General Bamidele Shafa, arms registrar at the NCCSALW, participated in this programme, including the development of concrete initiatives to support community engagement in border communities in Ogun state to prevent the proliferation of small arms. Additionally, UNODA has been building the capacities of member states, including Nigeria, on gender responsive arms control through the holding of regional workshops.

TheCable: Are there other impactful initiatives that your office has engaged in with the NCCSALW to advance disarmament?

Ebo: UNODA’s support and technical advice to national institutions is predicated on the principle of national ownership and requests, in consultation with the RC (UN resident coordinator). Last August, I undertook a mission to Abuja to strengthen engagement with national, regional, and international partners in support of peace, security, and disarmament in West Africa and Nigeria.

In the particular case of Nigeria, some context would be helpful. You may recollect that the NCCSALW had been created by law in 2024. In a letter dated September 12, 2024, the national security adviser had formally notified the UN secretary-general of the centre’s creation and requested UN technical support for its operationalisation. We responded in the affirmative and undertook to leverage the support and services of the UN Regional Center for Peace and Disarmament in Africa, which is UNODA’s Africa regional office. My visit in August was in direct response to Nigeria’s request through the NSA. I was accompanied by a UNODA team led by Anselme Yabouri, the director of UNREC.

I paid a visit to the centre and met with senior officials, including the national security adviser, the minister of defence, the inspector-general of police, and the director-general of NCCSALW and his leadership team. We agreed on several areas of cooperation, grounded in the centre’s priorities. First, a national baseline survey on illicit SALW, led by NCCSALW, with UNODA’s support and involving methodological support from relevant international institutions through a training-of-trainers model. The vision is for NCCSALW to establish itself as a credible centre of excellence, able to meet national requirements in this important field but also able to offer expertise and support to other national commissions in Africa.

Second, we discussed opportunities for Nigeria to participate in the 2026 African Union Amnesty Month — an initiative rooted in the AU’s Agenda 2063 and its “Silencing the Guns” initiative, which allows individuals in possession of illicit small arms and light weapons to voluntarily surrender them to designated authorities without fear of arrest or prosecution.

Third, we committed to strengthening systemic engagement with civil society organisations to broaden stakeholder participation and reinforce national ownership of disarmament efforts. Additional priorities identified by Nigerian counterparts include technical support for border security management, capacity-building in crime data systems, and community engagement initiatives to curb the illicit proliferation of SALW.

These discussions reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to arms control and disarmament, and its readiness to assume a regional leadership role in advancing African priorities within the global disarmament agenda.

TheCable: Disarmament efforts in West Africa often face issues of porous borders and regional instability. How is UNODA collaborating with ECOWAS to strengthen regional arms control?

Ebo: ODA supports subregional and continental efforts through ECOWAS and the African Union, both of which play strategic roles in addressing SALW proliferation and emerging challenges such as the regulation of uncrewed armed vehicles. These partnerships are essential for harmonising standards, facilitating cross-border cooperation, and reinforcing national initiatives through regional frameworks.

Indeed, one of the objectives of my August 2025 mission to Abuja was to review and reset the collaboration between ECOWAS and UNODA, particularly within the framework of a 2009 memorandum of understanding between the two entities.

I met with Omar Touray, the president of the ECOWAS Commission. I had a bilateral meeting with Abdel-Fatau Musah, the commissioner for political affairs, peace and security (CPAPS), with whom I subsequently co-chaired a UNODA-ECOWAS strategic dialogue on disarmament, which gathered 22 senior officials from the department of political affairs, peace and security of the ECOWAS Commission. In a way, the meetings with ECOWAS encapsulated a strategic reset.

Discussions with ECOWAS emphasised the need to ensure that disarmament approaches are driven by and focused on the unique context of West Africa and the Sahel. Accordingly, we agreed that the memorandum of understanding should be updated and tailored to the prevailing disarmament dynamics and challenges of the region, including drones, malicious use of ICTs, associated advances in science and technology, and climate change and arms control, among others. These priorities were clearly articulated during the series of engagements and translated into a shared vision of a strengthened partnership that is demand-driven and guided by ECOWAS priorities and context.

As I mentioned, I was in Abuja to attend and speak at a two-day regional workshop on gender mainstreaming in small arms in West Africa that ODA’s regional centre in Africa – UNREC — organised jointly with the ECOWAS Commission. The workshop aimed to raise awareness and enhance the capacities of member states to effectively design and implement gender-responsive arms control policies and initiatives, while integrating youth perspectives into disarmament programmes. It was attended by over 35 participants, including 10 ECOWAS member states and member states of the Alliance des Etats du Sahel known as AES (Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger), SALW experts from the national commissions, UN entities and CSOs.

The workshop covered international, continental and regional norms and initiatives shaping the region’s efforts to mitigate the illicit proliferation of SALW and to mainstream gender considerations into arms control. It also offered a platform to share national perspectives on challenges, best practices and lessons learnt in the area of gender responsive arms control as well as integrating youth perspectives.

Such cooperation is essential to ensure that global instruments are meaningfully adapted to regional contexts and translated into national realities. These localised efforts, in turn, enrich and inform broader global processes — creating a dynamic, two-way flow between policy and practice.

In addition, West African states have increasingly prioritised the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1540 as part of a broader regional commitment to WMD non-proliferation. Since 2023, UNODA has supported Nigeria in convening two national consultations to develop and validate a voluntary national action plan for implementing the resolution, which will be launched later this year.

Importantly, the plan also emphasises the peaceful and secure application of nuclear, chemical, and biological science and technology to support national development priorities and the achievement of the sustainable development goals. This collective momentum enhances the region’s resilience against transnational threats and illicit trafficking and contributes to the establishment of a robust and integrated regional security architecture.

TheCable: There is sometimes a gap between high-level disarmament commitments and realities on the ground. How does UNODA ensure its policies translate into real change for communities in Nigeria affected by violence and insecurity?

Ebo: ODA works to bridge the gap between high-level disarmament commitments and realities on the ground by supporting regional, national and local efforts that translate policy into tangible impact.

This includes providing country-specific technical assistance to strengthen arms control frameworks, supporting community-based initiatives that promote peace and security, and working with civil society to ensure that disarmament efforts are inclusive and responsive to local needs. Earlier, I referenced ODA’s cooperation with the African Union for the Africa Amnesty Month initiative.

Earlier, I mentioned the SALW and Ammunition Fellowships, which play a vital role by equipping national experts with the technical knowledge and policy tools needed to address illicit arms flows and improve ammunition management. Fellows often serve as catalysts for change within their institutions, helping to translate global norms into locally grounded action and fostering regional cooperation on arms control. Through these efforts, the goal is to ensure that disarmament policies are not only adopted but also meaningfully impact communities affected by violence and insecurity.

Additionally, partnering with civil society organisations, including women’s organisations, is essential for engaging communities on disarmament-related issues — ensuring that efforts are locally grounded, inclusive, and responsive to the needs and perspectives of those most affected. In my experience, CSOs play a critical role in bridging the gap between disarmament policy and local communities through the implementation of awareness-raising campaigns – including peace education and advocacy programmes.

That is why, in the margins of the workshop in Abuja, I convened a CSO roundtable that gathered 17 national, regional and international NGOs working in the field of disarmament, peace and security. We discussed opportunities to advance the disarmament agenda by promoting international and regional legal instruments and tailoring it to local contexts; leveraging science and technology for effective arms control; and fostering the participation of youth, which is particularly important in Nigeria where the majority of the population is under the age of 30, as well as the equal participation of women in disarmament decision making processes.

TheCable: What steps could Nigeria take to strengthen its role as a regional and global champion for disarmament?

Ebo: Nigeria’s geo-strategic and demographic significance places it in a unique position of responsibility — and opportunity — to play a leading role, at least a prominent role, in disarmament and arms control efforts across Africa. With its regional and continental stature, Nigeria can, and in my view, should play a pivotal role in elevating these issues on African and global platforms.

By no means is Nigeria starting from scratch in the disarmament arena. In fact, Nigeria initiated the creation of the United Nations Disarmament Fellowship, Training and Advisory Services Programme (Programme of Fellowships on Disarmament). The programme – which trains national officials, particularly in developing countries, to enable them to participate more effectively in international forums addressing disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control issues – has proven to be one of that meeting’s most visionary and successful outcomes. Since its establishment, it has served as an indispensable capacity-building tool for diplomats and government officials, particularly from developing countries.

Therefore, the point is for Nigeria to reclaim its historical, eminent role in multilateral disarmament.

At the global level, Nigeria could partner with other African countries to build a common African building block of the global disarmament policy agenda, amplifying African perspectives in multilateral forums and shaping global norms in ways that reflect the lived realities of African communities. Otherwise, there is a risk of African acquiescence to, rather than ownership of, the global disarmament agenda.

In the area of nuclear weapons, Nigeria has already made clear its commitment to nuclear disarmament through its membership in the Treaty of Pelindaba, as a state party to the TPNW and as a non-nuclear-weapon state under the NPT and as a member of the cross-regional non-proliferation and disarmament initiative. It could use its position in the non-aligned movement as a bridge-builder between groups of states and continuing to advocate for the implementation of Article VI on the NPT, on nuclear disarmament. With the 2026 NPT Review Conference beginning in less than six months, the active engagement of Nigeria will be critical to a successful outcome.

Nigeria’s contributions through AU, ECOWAS and bilateral cooperation with neighbouring countries could also include the development of confidence-building measures and joint initiatives that foster a broader culture of peace.

Nigeria is one of a group of 21 states that called for further multilateral exchanges on armed uncrewed aerial vehicles, also known as armed drones, under the auspices of the United Nations. The proliferation of armed UAVs is a real concern for many African countries. I urge Nigeria to further expand its leadership role in this space.

We should, however, be reminded that charity begins at home. Nigeria’s potential role as a regional champion is viable only to the extent of its own national capacity. Domestically, therefore, transforming the National SALW Centre into a recognised ‘centre of excellence’ would further furnish Nigeria with a major tool of regional security policy. Such a transformation could enable the centre to support capacity-building across the region, helping other countries enhance their own national frameworks and institutional capacity. In this regard, Nigeria’s immediate priority should be to accelerate the capacity of the NCCSALW and linking it with the disarmament ecosystem regionally, continentally and globally. I’m glad that this is starting to happen.