By Uche Onyeali
West African Action Network on Small Arms, WAANSA, partnered the Rwandan government in the areas of agriculture, skills training and education for young Nigerians, as a means of checking illegal arms proliferation on the continent.
The partnership was agreed upon during a visit to the Rwandan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Christophe Bazivamo, by the leadership of WAANSA in his office in Abuja recently, to mark the beginning of its seven days activities commemorating the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence.
Speaking during the visit, the 1st Regional Vice President of WAANSA, Comrade Martin Igwe said its aim is to strengthen collaboration with Rwanda in the efforts to curb the continent of gun running.
Igwe emphasised the need for information sharing with countries that had experienced conflicts, like Rwanda, as that would help in fashioning out workable means for conflict resolution and peace among the people.
The WAANSA leader used the opportunity to solicit for the support of the Rwandan government and citizens for the official barber of the Nigerian Super Eagles, Joshua Aiyenuro, popularly known as ‘T-Jos,’ who is to embark on a seven-day marathon as world best barber.
According to Igwe, Aiyenuro’s endeavour is significant, as it depicts the resilience of the Nigerian youth which could help in checking violent conflicts if they are adequately engaged.
In his response, Ambassador Bazivamo, who welcomed the delegation with praises on WAANSA’s engagement for a peaceful Africa, noted that the most viable strategy that could be used to curb gun violence is women and youth empowerment.
Bazivamo, who observed that empowering a woman is tantamount to empowering the family, community and country, emphasised the need to expand the space to accommodate women participation in decision-making, citing Rwanda as an example where women are given the chance to emerge as vice both in the executive and legislative arms of government.
The ambassador stressed the importance of skills acquisition both for agriculture and industrialisation to quell small arms proliferation.
He noted issues of ethnic crises in Nigeria, which he said has the same structure of governance with the United States of America.
However, according to him, while citizens of the USA are free to reside peacefully in any state of the country as one people, Nigerians engage in racial harassment and fighting against one another.
Bazivamo noted that too much internal displacement as witnessed in Nigeria had made it easier for youths to be recruited for insurgency and terrorism.
He, however, promised the readiness of the Rwandan government to partner WAANSA on information sharing to help it achieve its goal of engendering peace and eliminating gun violence in Nigeria and the West African sub-region.
