Nickel nanoparticles with tungsten carbides supported on the multi-walled carbon nanotubes, noted as Ni-WC/MWCNT catalyst, is prepared through an impregnation method and used for the electrooxidation of urea in alkaline conditions. The micro-morphology and composition of the Ni-WC/MWCNT particles are determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Xray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The electrooxidation activity and conductivity of the catalyst are investigated by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, respectively. Characterization results indicate that the Ni nanoparticles are uniformly distributed on the WC/MWCNT framework, and the Ni-WC/MWCNT catalyst shows an improved activity for the urea electrooxidation. The current densities of Ni-WC/MWCNT are over 3 times and 15 times higher than those of the Ni-WC/C and Ni/C catalysts, respectively, and the electrochemical impedance also decreases markedly. The higher activity on Ni-WC/MWCNT is attributed to the support effect of MWCNT as well as the synergistic effect between Ni and WC. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.