Tag: NAFRC

To prepare them for post-service and ensure their smooth integration into civil life, the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), Oshodi, has commenced a six-month intensive training for 718 Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCOs).

This training, which will run till June, will equip the participating soldiers with entrepreneurial and business management skills, as well as bring them up to speed with relevant technologies in their chosen areas of specialty to enable them function optimally and be financially independent.

Inaugurating the course, NAFRC Commandant, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Nnaemeka Ilo, charged the participating soldiers to maintain discipline and respect the Nigerian Armed Forces’ social media policy.

He urged them to embrace purposeful learning and adaptability as they prepare for life after active military service.

AVM Ilo described the course as highly competitive and prestigious, adding that it was designed to equip personnel with relevant skills for post-service survival and prosperity.

He explained that the six-month course will feature a robust blend of theoretical and practical training focused on entrepreneurship, self-reliance, job creation, and sustainable living.

According to him, feedback from past participants showed that many graduates of the centre had gone on to become successful entrepreneurs across diverse sectors of the economy, expressing confidence that the current participants would equally emerge competitive and productive in the open market.

He cautioned the participants against underestimating the realities of civil life, describing it as largely unstructured and fiercely competitive when compared to the regimented military environment. Stressing the importance of emotional intelligence and self-control, AVM Ilo advised them to prepare mentally for the differences in work culture, time management, and interpersonal relations outside the military.

Continuing, he admonished the participants to see the course as an investment in their families and themselves, reminding them that they had given over 30 years of their lives to serving the country selflessly.

He underscored the importance of dedication, diligence, and effective time management, noting that optimal use of the training period would largely determine individual success in retirement.

During an interview with a journalist, the Commandant reiterated that efforts had been intensified to modernise training facilities through the introduction of technology and basic Artificial intelligence modules.

He explained that while AI is currently being introduced in phases due to the age profile of participants, it would eventually become a full course for future intakes as part of efforts to align NAFRC with international best practices.

Read Also: New NAFRC Commandant AVM Ilo pledges improved staff welfare, training reforms

Earlier, the Director of Training, Brig. -Gen. Isang Akpaumontia revealed that 823 participants were posted for the course, comprising 523 personnel from the Nigerian Army (NA), 122 from the Nigerian Navy (NN), and 178 from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

Of this number, he said 718 participants were medically screened and certified fit, documented and accommodated, while 85 were declared unfit and returned to their units for further treatment.

He assured that arrangements had been made to complete the documentation and biometric capture of the affected personnel ahead of graduation.

Brig.-Gen. Akpaumontia reiterated that NAFRC is a world-class institution dedicated to entrepreneurship and management training, as well as consultancy services, aimed at ensuring a seamless reintegration of personnel into contemporary civil society after decades of meritorious service.

He reminded participants that the course was fully residential, urging them to uphold conduct befitting their ranks as senior representatives of their respective services.

Over 320 officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC) have participated in the annual Range Classification exercise at the 192 Battalion Nigerian Army Shooting Range, Owode, Ogun State. 

The one-day exercise tested participants’ proficiency in weapon handling and marksmanship with rifle and pistol categories, focusing on live firing, safety procedures, and performance evaluations.

Commandant of NAFRC, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Bashir Mamman, who led the exercise, said the training was aimed at reinforcing operational readiness and discipline among personnel. 

He stressed the importance of carrying lessons from the range into missions and deployments, noting that such exercises remain vital in light of Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.

Director of Coordination, Commodore I.P. Udoudoh, described the event as a practical test of mental alertness, weapon handling, and shooting accuracy, all  essential to ongoing security operations across the country.

Director of Training, Brigadier General I.O. Olatunji, disclosed plans to make the Range Classification a bi-annual event to further boost the confidence and skills of personnel in handling weapons.

Range coaches from the 192 Battalion supervised the event to ensure compliance with safety standards.

The exercise, according to the leadership of NAFRC, reflects the centre’s commitment to enhancing the competence of its personnel and sustaining contributions to national security.

With a charge to deploy the skills and knowledge gained for national development, the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC) on Monday certified 31 senior and mid-level officers fit to start and grow agro-businesses.

The officers drawn from the three military services comprising 17 from Major to Lt.-Col ranks and 14 Colonel to Major-General cadre.

Their certification followed weeks of intensive training as participants of the Senior-level and Mid-level Officers’ Entrepreneurship and Management Course 14/2025, which included a study tour to a large scale farm in Benin Republic.

Addressing the participants at their graduation ceremony on Monday morning in Lagos, NAFRC Commandant, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Bashir Mamman, admonished them to lead with purpose and passion, adding that they must be innovative and ensure they empower others to build strong teams that would drive positive change in the society.

Aside from training them, NAFRC, Mamman said, also took steps to ensure that they registered their businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission.

“As part of efforts toward ensuring that participants register their businesses with ease, the Centre has invited the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to facilitate the process of business registration for participants,” he said.

AVM Mamman said their graduation from the course marked a significant milestone in their careers, adding that it symbolized a new breakthrough for them.

He acknowledged the hardwork all the participants put into the training while it lasted, noting that they were taken through through courses to prepare them on how to establish and successfully run businesses while still in service that will ensure their effective reintegration to civil life after retirement.

Read Also: NAFRC trains senior officers on entrepreneurship, management

“I am quite convinced that this programme has equipped you with the requisite knowledge, skills and mindset to excel in management and entrepreneurship as well as improve your job performance and productivity, with basic focus on agriculture which necessitated the visit to Songhai Farms, Port Novo, Benin Republic.

“As entrepreneurs and managers, be reminded that you are engines of growth, creators of wealth and drivers of innovation in a rapidly evolving world.

“Indeed, you have demonstrated exceptional leadership, strategic thinking and a deep commitment to excellence. I am very impressed with the impeccable efforts of the facilitators considering that the course will be conducted quarterly.

“Let me also remind you that leadership is not just about authority but empowering others. It is our hope that after this stage, you all are better equipped to return to your various services and agencies to utilize the knowledge acquired and add value in fulfilment of the Armed Forces constitutional responsibilities…

“You have been empowered to shape the future, turn visions into realities and contribute to national development.

“It is imperative to state that the reviewed curriculum has enriched the management package to enable you all benefit from the enhanced repository of this programme,” he said.

Earlier in her remark, the founder, EMPRETEC, Mrs. Onari Duke, said the participants were equipped with essential skills in entrepreneurship and management.

Represented by her husband and Former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, she said the training has enabled them to learn, grow, and network, charging to remember that: “Innovation and risk-taking drive entrepreneurial success, and effective management fuels organizational growth.

“Your new skills can positively impact your communities…As entrepreneurs and managers, you will drive growth, create wealth and innovate in a rapidly evolving world,” Mrs Duke said.

To equip them with valuable managerial and business development skills, the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), Oshodi, on Monday commenced training for 31 mid-level and senior officers drawn from the three services of the military.

The course being the first time the participants will learn skills to better their lives, business acumen and personal growth, was organized in collaboration with EMPRETEC Nigeria Foundation.

For the next six weeks participants ranked from Major to two-star Generals would be exposed to tailored courses aimed at preparing them to set up profitable businesses while in service and upon retirement.

While 17 of the participants are of the ranks of Major to Lt.-Col, the remaining 14 were of the Colonel to Major-General cadre.

Speaking at the inauguration, NAFRC Commandant, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Bashir Mamman, expressed optimism for the transformative potential of the course. 

He stressed that the course was not pre-retirement programme but a critical aspect of preparing officers for the realities of post-service life.

“This course will equip you with the skills, mindset, and resilience needed to navigate the dynamic world of business and leadership. It aligns with our mandate to provide quality training that adequately prepares personnel for reintegration into civilian life,” he said.

According to AVM Mamman, over 200 senior officers have benefitted from the course since it was introduced in the centre, adding that it was expected that the number would keep growing with the quarterly rollout of the programme.

He said over 47,000 Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (SNCOs) and NCOs successfully had been trained since the inception of NAFRC, adding that many of them currently run small and medium-scale businesses across Nigeria.

Mamman charged participants to fully embrace the opportunity to plan, strategize, and begin building their entrepreneurial future while still in service.

“Success in entrepreneurship is not just about a great idea, but about strategic planning, adaptability, and unwavering commitment to hard work,” Mamman added.

Earlier, the Country Director of EMPRETEC, Mrs. Onari Duke, commended the Defence Headquarters and NAFRC leadership for their unwavering commitment to officers’ development. 

She said the collaboration reflected a national need to shift focus from traditional employment to entrepreneurship in addressing economic challenges.

“NAFRC’s commitment to capacity building is critical in today’s entrepreneurial landscape. This course will empower senior and mid-level officers with the skills required to succeed as entrepreneurs and managers in their post-service journeys.”

Read Also: NAFRC trains officers on entrepreneurship, mgt

Mrs. Duke highlighted the comprehensive curriculum for the training, which includes practical sessions, workshops, and visits to successful enterprises within and outside the country. 

She emphasized that the training represents a vital mindset shift for officers who have long devoted their lives to selfless service, adding that it would offer them a rare opportunity to invest in personal growth and future impact.

The Nation reports that some of the courses outlined for the participants during this period include 21st Century leadership challenges; strategic thinking for profitability, financial modelling and budget forecasting; project management; conflict resolution and Corporate Governance. 

Others include emotional mastery; inventory management; health and wellness; business expansion, and product specification.

The Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), Oshodi, Lagos has begun training for over 600 soldiers due for disengagement in six months.

The personnel drawn from the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force, were inaugurated into a six-month skills acquisition programme that would equip them for post service life.

Addressing the personnel, the Commandant, NAFRC, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Bashir Mamman, said the course would prepare them for meaningful and beneficial engagements in future.

 He said the goal was to continue to provide opportunities for retiring personnel to obtain quality vocational training and management education in many relevant fields of endeavour aimed at adequately preparing them to face the challenges of re-integrating into civil life.

Read Also: NAFRC trains 700 retiring officers on post-service life

 “During the course, you will receive lectures and practical lessons from resource persons and specialists on a broad range of topics including entrepreneurship and general management, health, retirement planning, financial management, security and safety practice as well as ICT to mention but a few.

 “These lectures are specifically designed to help you build up profitable post-retirement ventures towards job creation, self-sustenance and worthwhile living after disengaging from the Armed Forces of Nigeria.

 It is my pleasure to inform you that feedback from past participants who benefited from past training indicates that many of the graduates of this centre are thriving entrepreneurs in a wide range of business ventures across the country .

“A significant number of them are even employers of labour and have expanded their businesses beyond their immediate localities.

 “It is, therefore, our hope and earnest desire that upon completion of this course, each of you would have obtained the necessary skills to operate profitably in the open market that is highly competitive,” Mamman told the trainees.

 He reminded them the training was for them to develop themselves for theirs and their family’s good, stressing the need for them to be committed to the course.

“It is imperative that I emphasise how crucial it is for you to utilize the allocated time in your training program effectively, as it is the primary determining factor for your success on this course.

“I am positive that you will learn a lot within this period if you apply yourself and make judicious use of your time… “So, do your best to maximize this learning opportunity. You must also be cordial and respectful to the centre’s instructors, academic and administrative staff as well as your fellow participants.

Insubordination to your fellow participants who are your superiors will be met with serious sanctions. Mutual respect is, therefore, expected from each and everyone of you,” the Commandant added.

During the course, Mamman warned that the personnel must not engage in self-medication and must disclose any serious illness at the medical center… “Accordingly, a mandatory 90 per cent attendance is required for issuance of the Certificate of Course Completion at the end of the course. Participants would be denied certificates and sanctioned for prolonged absence without due authorisation, or misconduct and acts of indiscipline,” he warned.