The spread of small arms and light weapons constitutes one of the major security challenges, Nigeria and its neighboring countries in the ECOWAS region is currently facing.  Global, national and local partnerships remain crucial in assisting these countries to tackle multidimensional threats to peace and security.

UNDP organized a training workshop mid-September for border security operatives in the North-East. The aim of the training is to build capacity of these officials to implement sensitization and awareness campaigns as well as effective communication strategy to share information related to arms, trafficking and other illicit activities. This, when linked to state and national security structures, will ensure a targeted intervention aimed at setting up community led border security management structures.

The training forms part of activities being implemented under the Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Project, which seeks to support ECOWAS in its capacity to effectively address factors of instability and reinforce a proactive approach to peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution in West Africa.

Speaking on this initiative, UNDP Representative, Frederick Ampiah said: “The ECOWAS convention on SALW aims to effectively fight against illicit arms trafficking, and proliferation in an effort to ensure sustainable peace and development in the region. UNDP is helping to address these issues by encouraging dialogue and cooperation among all stakeholders in order to seek effective solutions.”

Ampiah stated that in addition to the remarkable efforts of the Federal Government to ensure controlled use of SALW, the UNDP is committed to supporting Nigeria to implement urgent measures towards enhancing peace, strengthening cross border security, sensitizing border communities and preventing violent communal conflicts.  “It is our firm believe that everyone has a vital role to play; Federal, State and Local governments, security agents, NGOs, civil societies, community-based organizations (CBOs), and women and youth groups. This is a call to action for everyone seated here to actively participate to end this menace that has taken the lives and properties of the people.” He said

Participants were actively engaged in discussions around ways to effectively manage borders and reduce the proliferation of arms. During the breakout session, participants were organized into their respective agencies where they highlighted key challenges peculiar to them in relation to cross border management and proffered relevant solutions going forward.

The information gathered from the training workshop as well as previous workshops (in Lagos, Calabar, Akure) will directly feed into the UNDP’s Small Arms report and guide future programming of small arms interventions in the country.

UNDP is partnering with the Nigerian Government to leverage on existing and planned regional stabilization efforts on SALW and to ensure a targeted intervention aimed at setting up community led border security management structures. It is expected that this support will be backed by strengthening the operational and institutional capacities of relevant stakeholders such as: Border Security Forces and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on the dangers of SALW proliferation as well as ensuring the engagement/participation of Women/Women organizations in Security, Disarmament and Sustainable Peace accordingly.