Abstract

This study interrogates the dynamics of small and light arms (SALW) proliferation in West Africa from the 1990s onwards, with attention to the part it has played in migration and internal displacement within the subregion. Anchored theoretically on liberalism and realism, and employing documentary and thematic analysis, the study establishes that governance deficits, poorly policed borders and entrenched corruption constitute the foremost drivers of SALW proliferation. It further traces the arms flows to a variety of sources, among them leftover Cold War stockpiles, the deregulated arms industries of Eastern Europe, the looting of state arsenals and badly demarcated frontiers through which illicit smuggling thrives. The findings show that the availability of SALW has heightened the intensity of conflicts and triggered mass displacement across Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and the Sahel, while confronting the region with grave challenges to human security and the stability of states. The study therefore recommends that West African states reinforce their border security mechanisms, institute arms tracing systems and upscale regional disarmament protocols in order to stem illicit proliferation and shield vulnerable populations from armed violence and forced migration.