The diversion of small arms, light weapons, and their ancillaries (SALW) from state stockpiles is a core contributary to illicit arms proliferation across the globe. Recent audits conducted by the Auditor General of Nigeria discovered that a total of 178,459 police firearms and pieces of ammunition were found to be unaccounted for, potentially fuelling national and regional insecurity. The lifecycle management of state-owned SALW helps deter, deny, and detect such diversion, and represents an essential building block of a national SALW control strategy, enabling authorities to trace the movements of weapons in their stockpiles and identify the point in which they enter illicit circulation.

MSc Development and Security students from the University of Bristol's School of Politics and International Studies guest article on a the conflict and security implications of 3D-printed firearms.