The impact of small arms on health in Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria, the most populous Black country in the world, though it has contributed to the welfare of other African countries, is plagued by internal conflicts with small arms. Over a million illegal small arms circulate in Nigeria in the hands of militant groups. Over 10,000 may have died in conflicts between these groups and the government. Quality health care is unavailable in much of the country, and small arms injuries often overstretch emergency health care. A national committee has been set up to implement the ECOWAS moratorium on small arms and light weapons, but much remains to be done.

Keywords:

• ECOWAS
• Internal conflict
• Nigeria
• Small arms and light weapons

Acknowledgement

This paper is based on a presentation to the Symposium on ‘International trade in small arms: health and legal perspectives’, School of Law, Northwestern University, Chicago on 8 November 2003.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ime Akpan John

Ime Akpan John is a General Practitioner. He was Visiting Research Scientist at the Division of Social Medicine, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm in 2004, where he previously earned a masters degree in Safety Promotion. He leads the Kano State branch of Society of Nigerian Doctors for the Welfare of Mankind, Nigeria, and is active in the International Action Network for Small arms (IANSA) and International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (currently Vice-President for the African Region). He organised the March 2003 5th African Regional Conference of IPPNW in Abuja, Nigeria with the theme ‘War, a Preventable Evil in Africa’ emphasising ‘Child Soldiers, Small Arms, and Violent Conflicts in Africa’. He has recently completed a pilot survey on youth violence in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.