Section 4: Functions and powers of the National Centre.

The National Centre shall -(a) Implement strategies, plans and policies for the eradication of proliferation of small arms and light weapons;
(b) supervise the implementation of the strategies, plans and policies for the eradication of proliferation of small arms and light weapons, by law enforcement agencies and other relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies in Nigeria;
(c) receive from the Nigeria Police Force. reports of activities on registration and licensing of fire arms and ammunition for the purposes of updating the national database;
(d) register and securely store or destroy small arms
(i) collected from the Nigeria Police force. Armed Forces and other security agencies, and
(ii) seized or recovered from criminals, terrorists, insurgents or any other person in possession of illegal small arms and light weapons:
(e) organise programmes of action to prevent, control, combat and eradicate the illegal trade in small arms and light weapons;
(f) coordinate the design and implementation of an effective public education and awareness campaign relative to small arms and light weapons;
(g) create and maintain a national database of all small arms and light weapons;
(h) update the register of small arms and light weapons and transmit same to the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU), the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) and any other international organisation that may so require;
(i) advise the ECOWAS, All and UN on exemptions to be granted to member states for weapons of categories 1, 2 and 3 of the ECOWAS Protocol on small arms and light weapons to meet legitimate national defence and security needs, or to participate in peace keeping or other operations in accordance with the decisions of the UN. AU, ECOWAS or other regional or sub-regional body of which it is a member;
(j) liaise with the ECOWAS, AU and UN in all matters relating to the eradication of proliferation of small arms and light weapons in general at the regional, continental and global levels;
(k) initiate and develop mechanisms for exchanging information and experience with the National Centres, Commissions or National coordinating bodies for the eradication of proliferation of small arms and light weapons of other member states of the ECOWAS, AU and UN;
(l) conduct periodic research, studies and surveys to gather accurate information on impacts of interventions, to track the mutating dimension of the problem of small arms and light weapons and the lessons learned; and to use such information;
(m) investigate suspected illegal manufacturers, traders and possessors of illicit small arms and light weapons; and
(n) perform such other functions that may be assigned to it by Federal Government of Nigeria.