🇳🇬 COAS Deepens Strategic Partnership with Nafrc to Advance Troops’ Welfare, Post-Service Empowerment

 

COAS deepens partnership with NAFRC to advance troops’ welfare and post-service empowerment. Full story - Zig Diaries. Independent journalism with impact, context, and credibility.

Desk: Defence & Security
Date: Tuesday, 3 February 2026
Time: 16:50 WAT
Location: Abuja, Nigeria

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to strengthening its strategic partnership with the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC) to enhance troops’ welfare and support post-service empowerment. 

The engagement underscores the Army’s focus on ensuring a smooth transition for personnel from active duty to civilian life while sustaining operational readiness.

The COAS made the announcement during a high-level engagement with the Commandant of NAFRC, Air Vice Marshal Nnaemeka Ilo, at Army Headquarters, Abuja. 

According to a statement issued by Colonel Appolonia Anele, Acting Director Army Public Relations, Lieutenant General Shaibu highlighted the importance of removing operational bottlenecks that impede effective skills acquisition and vocational training for retiring personnel.

Lieutenant General Shaibu congratulated Air Vice Marshal Ilo on his appointment and stressed the strategic role of NAFRC in equipping personnel with technical, vocational, and professional skills critical for post-service economic independence. 

He emphasised that structured resettlement programmes form a core component of the Army’s evolving welfare architecture and are vital for long-term stability and productivity.

The COAS commended NAFRC’s diverse skills acquisition initiatives as essential enablers of a dignified transition from military to civilian life. He further acknowledged the significant leadership responsibility involved in managing the welfare and professional development of a large cohort of Nigerian Army personnel undergoing training at the Centre.

He reiterated the Army’s commitment to strengthening institutional capacity and sustaining welfare reforms that prioritise personnel development. Lieutenant General Shaibu also called for structured post-training placement mechanisms, noting that many trained personnel possess valuable technical and professional competencies that can be effectively deployed in civilian organisations and the private sector. 

He encouraged NAFRC to deepen partnerships, improve data management systems, and adopt human-resource-driven placement strategies to ensure seamless reintegration and long-term employability.

In response, Air Vice Marshal Ilo expressed appreciation for the enduring synergy between the Nigerian Army and NAFRC, particularly the COAS’s personal commitment to the Centre’s mandate. He noted that a significant number of Nigerian Army personnel are actively engaged in NAFRC training programmes, positioning the Centre as a critical engine for professional development and post-service empowerment. 

The Commandant assured the COAS of the Centre’s continued loyalty and pledged to faithfully implement all directives aimed at enhancing personnel welfare and resettlement outcomes.

FACT-CHECK & BACKGROUND CONTEXT

NAFRC was established to provide comprehensive resettlement and vocational training to Nigerian Armed Forces personnel approaching retirement. 

Past assessments indicate that structured resettlement programmes contribute to lower post-service unemployment, improved economic self-reliance, and enhanced social reintegration for retired personnel. 

The Centre offers training in technical, vocational, and entrepreneurial skills, aligning with broader military welfare reforms and national human capital development priorities.

🏷 Tags: Defence, Nigeria, Nigerian Army, Welfare, Post-Service Training, NAFRC

Hashtags: #NigerianArmy #NAFRC #Welfare #MilitaryReform #SkillsDevelopment #Nigeria