International Law and the Regulation of Small Arms and Light Weapons: Addressing Proliferation in Nigeria’s North West Zone

This research empirically analyses the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) in Nigeria's North West geopolitical zone and assesses the adequacy of the international legal framework in addressing this security crisis. The North West, particularly Zamfara, Katsina, and Sokoto States, has experienced an unprecedented surge in armed banditry, with SALW proliferation identified as a key enabling factor. The international legal framework on SALW, including the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms, the Arms Trade Treaty, and the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms, provides the normative basis for the analysis. Using a mixed legal-empirical methodology combining treaty analysis with review of armed violence datasets from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED) and UNDP field reports, the study assesses Nigeria's compliance with its international SALW control obligations and identifies specific regulatory and enforcement gaps. It fills a gap in the literature by providing a focused empirical assessment of North West Nigeria's SALW dynamics within the international legal framework, compared with broader national or regional assessments. Findings indicate that Nigeria's compliance with SALW control obligations is significantly impeded by porous border management, inadequate stockpile management, and weak civilian firearms licensing enforcement. An original SALW compliance assessment matrix for Nigerian security agencies is developed. Recommendations include enhanced border management capacity, legislative alignment with the Arms Trade Treaty, and community-based disarmament programmes. Keywords: small arms, SALW, North West Nigeria, Arms Trade Treaty, armed banditry.