The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), under the Office of the National Security Adviser, is set to hold a regional workshop aimed at developing strategies to curb the influx of small arms and light weapons into Northwest Nigeria.
The workshop which is scheduled to hold between the 23th to 24th of October, at the State House, Abuja, will bring together Governors of the seven Northwest states, security chiefs, policy experts, and development partners.
The workshop, themed “Strengthening Regional Action to Curb Small Arms and Light Weapons Proliferation in Northwest Nigeria,” is taking place amid escalating insecurity in the region.
Governor Dikko Umaru Radda of Katsina state, who doubles as the Chairman Northwest Governors Forum, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
The hint about the meeting came after the Governor received a high-level delegation led by, Maryam Musa Yahaya, Director-General of the Northwest Governors Forum Secretariat, and Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, Director-General of NCCSALW, at Katsina House, in Abuja, recently, the statement said.
Radda reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to regional security cooperation, describing the forthcoming Northwest regional workshop on NCCSALW as “a timely and strategic effort to confront one of the region’s most pressing security challenges.”
The visit was said to be part of preparatory activities for the workshop, jointly organised by the Northwest Governors Forum, NCCSALW, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Governor Radda emphasised that the meeting with the NCCSALW leadership marked another step in the region’s collective resolve to tackle insecurity at its roots.
“This meeting is not just another official engagement. It is a call to action. The proliferation of small arms and light weapons continues to undermine peace and development across our communities. It fuels banditry, disrupts trade, and prevents our children from going to school.
“We must move beyond policy discussions to real implementation steps that tighten control mechanisms, enhance intelligence networks, and rebuild public confidence in our ability to protect lives and property,” the Governor stated.
He stressed that addressing the menace of arms proliferation is essential for achieving lasting peace and sustainable development in the Northwest.
The Governor commended the Office of the National Security Adviser and NCCSALW for their proactive collaboration with the Northwest Governors Forum and urged that outcomes from the forthcoming workshop be translated into measurable actions that strengthen community safety, intelligence sharing, and regional coordination.
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In his remarks, Kokumo commended the Northwest Governors Forum for its foresight and leadership, describing the planned workshop as “a model for regional synergy and inter-agency cooperation in the fight against illegal arms proliferation.”
He noted that the uncontrolled circulation of small arms remains one of the most complex threats to Nigeria’s internal security but expressed optimism that stronger regional collaboration can achieve tangible progress.
“Through this partnership with the Northwest Governors Forum, we are laying a solid foundation for a coordinated and effective national response,” Kokumo stated.
He reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to working closely with the Forum, security agencies, and international partners to ensure that resolutions from the workshop are effectively implemented, promoting long-term peace, stability, and socio-economic recovery across the region.
The meeting concluded with agreements on key milestones for stakeholder engagement, coordination frameworks, and post-workshop follow-up mechanisms designed to ensure that outcomes lead to concrete, actionable results.
The Forum reiterated its commitment to advancing regional peace and security in line with the its broader agenda of sustainable development and social stability.
