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WAANSA Seeks Collaboration With CAN To Check Illegal Proliferation Of Small Arms

Published

3 years ago

March 16, 2024

By Uche Onyeali

West African Action Network On Small Arms, WAANSA, has called for a collaboration with the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, to check illegal proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

Regional 1st Vice President of WAANSA, Mr. Martin Igwe made the call when he led a delegation of the network on a courtesy visit to the CAN president, Archbishop Daniel Ok oh, in his office in Abuja on Thursday.

According to Igwe, Nigeria and the entire West Africa sub-region have had their fair share of violent crises which have claimed millions of lives due to the proliferation of small arms in the region.

He noted that to checkmate such trend, the root-causes had to be addressed.

Igwe noted that having observed that people, especially the youths, go into arms struggle as a result of joblessness and poverty, WAANSA took took upon itself to engage women and youths in skills acquisition programmes in order to get them busy and self-reliant.

He appealed to the CAN president to assist the network, especially in the area of connection with other well-meaning individuals to get the youths and women engaged, so as to reduce the rate of arms getting into the hands of the wrong people.
In response, Archbishop Okoh expressed delight on the activities of WAANSA, as he decried the rate of spread of violent crises in Nigeria and the entire West Africa.

Okoh, who decried a situation where very young men in Nigeria now brandish dangerous weapons to threaten the peace in communities, pledged to assist WAANSA in its activities where necessary to check the ugly trend.

Meanwhile, WAANSA has expressed concern over the escalation of attacks by armed groups in Nigeria.

The network in a solidarity letter to President Bola Tinubu, however commended the effort of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, to partner civil society organisations to address the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the region.

The letter signed by the president of WAANSA, Victorien Aka N’Taye, expressed the network’s solidarity with President Tinubu and and people of Nigeria in this challenging period.

It condemned the repeated kidnappings in parts of the country, especially the abduction of 287 pupils of Keriga LEA Primary School and secondary school in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The group further thank the president for listening to the cries of Nigeria s by reopening the country’s borders to ease the economic suffering of the citizens.

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Foreign news

Algeria’s Glorious Revolution: Embassy Marks 72nd Anniversary in Abuja

Published

2 days ago

November 12, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Embassy of Algeria in Nigeria has commemorated the 72nd anniversary of the country’s Glorious Revolution of November 1, 1954, with a reception in Abuja, highlighting Algeria’s liberation struggle and strengthening diplomatic relations with Nigeria.

The event, held on November 9, 2026, at Continental Suites Hotel, attracted prominent personalities, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Tajudeen Abbas, members of the Federal Government, senior government officials, heads of diplomatic missions and other friends of Algeria.

Speaking at the reception, Algeria’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Hocine Mezoued, welcomed guests and paid tribute to the country’s freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives during the struggle for independence.

He described the November 1, 1954 revolution as the foundation of modern Algeria, noting that the sacrifices of the nation’s martyrs made it possible for the country to reclaim its sovereignty.

On Algeria’s development agenda, Mezoued said President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s administration had continued to pursue economic reforms, diversification and national development under its New Algeria vision.

He noted that the country was recording progress in non-hydrocarbon exports, while improvements in the business environment had boosted investor confidence and attracted significant foreign investments.

On foreign policy, the ambassador reaffirmed Algeria’s commitment to non-interference, respect for national sovereignty, peaceful conflict resolution and the right of peoples to self-determination.

Addressing security challenges in the Sahel, he stressed that lasting peace could not be achieved through military measures alone, insisting that economic development, inclusive dialogue and peaceful resolution of disputes remained essential.

Turning to Nigeria-Algeria relations, Mezoued described the partnership as one founded on shared values and the commitment of both countries’ leaders to advancing African development.

He identified the Trans-Saharan Highway, Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline and Trans-Saharan Fibre Optic Backbone as major strategic projects receiving attention from both countries.

The ambassador also disclosed that Algeria had continued to provide scholarships to Nigerian students to strengthen human capital development and capacity building.

He further announced that Air Algérie expanded its Nigerian operations on October 26, 2026, with the introduction of two weekly flights to Lagos, expressing confidence that the service would boost trade and tourism.

Looking ahead, Mezoued said 2027 would offer fresh opportunities to deepen bilateral cooperation, particularly through the fifth Joint High Bi-National Commission scheduled to hold in Abuja.

He expressed optimism that the meeting would provide an opportunity to assess existing partnerships, identify new areas of cooperation and move Nigeria-Algeria relations towards a more practical and results-driven phase.

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