Arms Proliferation and Democratization in Nigeria

In recent past, violent communal, religious and political conflicts have become a regular feature and/or reoccurring decimal of our social life. These conflicts result from different value system, aggressive competition for economic resources and unhealthy competition for political power. There is hardly a year in Nigeria without major violent conflict. Conflict in this respect, especially in northern part of the country has varied in scope, intensity and nature, and has taken immeasurable toll on human lives, leaving many dead, maimed and numerous others displaced, as a result of the involvement of small arms illegally acquired. To this end, this study seeks to decipher if the increase in the proliferation of these arms illegally acquired resulted from the inability of the state to address the basic needs of the masses and to determine if the circulation of small arms and light weapons during the 2011 general elections actually undermined the turnout of voters. The study adopted the theory of post-colonial state as the framework of analysis. This theoretical framework is aimed at giving a clue for the occurrence and persistence of the problem. Ex-Post Factor is adopted as the research design; observation is adopted as the method of data collection, and qualitative descriptive method as the method of data analysis. The major findings are that the increase in the illegal possession of arms may be attributed to the state’s inability to address the basic needs of the masses; and that the circulation of the small arms and light weapons during the 2011 general elections actually undermined political participation during this period. The major recommendations are that the Nigerian state should be reconstituted in such a way as to be proactive in dealing with the issue of small arms and light weapons (WALW) that heightens the proliferation of these SALW and also to strengthen the law enforcement agencies in order to enable them check the procurement of SALW that worsen security situations in Nigeria. Key Words: Arms Proliferation, Democratization, Small Arms, and Light Weapons