By Evelyn Usman

A total of 576 retiring personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces have completed the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC) Course 02/2025 as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to prepare service members for life after active duty.

Of the participants, the Nigerian Army accounted for 366 personnel, followed by the Nigerian Air Force with 120 and the Nigerian Navy with 90. Female participation stood at 26, comprising seven Navy and 19 Air Force personnel.

The six-month discharge and resettlement course, which commenced on 1 July 2025, initially attracted 629 participants. One reportedly withdrew due to ill health, while 52 others were declared medically unfit and returned to their units but will receive Certificates of Exemption.

Speaking at the Passing Out Ceremony at NAFRC, Oshodi, Lagos, the Commandant, Air Vice Marshal Bashir Mamman, said the graduation reflected the Centre’s renewed commitment to preparing retirees for productive civilian life. He described the event as a celebration of “resilience, dedication and excellence,” noting that the programme was structured to provide participants with “practical vocational, entrepreneurial and management skills needed to thrive after active service.”

Mamman disclosed that NAFRC has trained over 54,000 retiring personnel since inception, describing the Centre as “a critical pillar in post-service reintegration and national productivity.” According to him, “our mandate is to ensure that no retiring personnel is left unprepared for life after service.”

Highlighting reforms at the Centre, he said, “We have renovated key facilities, including living quarters for corporals, senior non-commissioned officers and course participants, revitalised the Lt. Gen. T. A. Lagbaja Block, installed solar streetlights and improved landscaping.”

On entrepreneurship, Mamman said, “We now conduct quarterly entrepreneurship and management training for mid- and senior-level officers,” adding that “39 officers and two civilians recently completed the globally recognised EMPRETEC entrepreneurship programme.”

He further disclosed that the Centre is “developing a 30-hectare agricultural land in Epe in partnership with the Lagos State Government to expand training in agriculture, waste management and renewable energy,” while also upgrading ICT infrastructure to support e-learning.

The participants underwent intensive training across 33 skill-acquisition centres, covering trades such as automobile mechanics, welding and fabrication, and the production of household toiletries and cosmetics, alongside industrial attachments across several states and the Federal Capital Territory.