Legal and Regulatory Challenges to Effective Implementation of the Fireams Act in Nigeria

Abstract

This study analyses the legal and institutional impediments to effective implementation of the Firearms Act in Nigeria. It addresses the regulatory asymmetries between the government and
the governed with respect to the production, import, export, possession, circulation, and misuse of firearms in the country. The discussion highlights how the impediments to effective implementation of the law hamper the constitutional aspirations of the security and welfare of Nigerian people. Particularly, as Nigerian security challenges have, over the years, been attributed to the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons. The paper finds that lack of governmental will power and commitment to rid the country of illegal circulation of
firearms is the main impediment to effective implementation of the Firearms Act. The paper advocates for a total overhauling of the Firearms Act, which was promulgated in 1959 and recommends the creation of a National Commission on small arms and light weapons.