Armed Forces Retire 507, Train Military Retirees for Post-service Life

The military under the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), weekend said 507 military personnel of the Armed Forces, who have been trained in the centre, would be eased out of service to rejoin the civil life as retirees.

The 507 crop of military retirees will join the over 41,000 personnel of the Nigerian Armed Forces, who have in the past benefited from military sponsored vocational training courses between 1945, when the centre was established, and 2016.

Thus, to prepare them for their post service life, NAFRC has empowered 507 retired personnel, comprising 375 from the Nigerian Army (NA) and 132 from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), with skills for self-reliance. The military retirees were trained for six months on crop and fish farming, craftsmanship and other small scale businesses.

According to NAFRC Commandant, Air Vice Marshal Christopher Gudi, more than 40,500 retirees have benefitted from the scheme and were doing well in their chosen businesses. He said the initiative was to enable the beneficiaries seamlessly adjust and appropriately blend with the envisaged peculiarities of retirement.

He said, “They are expected, while in retirement and active socio-economic activities, to continue to positively contribute to the achievement of national objectives. This is in fulfillment of the mandate of NAFRC, at inception in 1945. Available records indicate that more than 40,500 retirees who got re-educated in NAFRC are outstanding entrepreneurs and could hold their own anywhere.

“NAFRC has recorded some modest achievements in enabling wealth creation and hike in living standards among most retired personnel of the Armed Forces. More concerted efforts are ongoing to expand the training scope in NAFRC through the participation of retiring commissioned officers.

“Currently, retiring officers of the Armed Forces are being trained by the Centre in partnership with EMPRETEC Nigeria Foundation and the Pan Atlantic University. More than 300 retired officers have been trained in entrepreneurship and managerial skills through the partnership.”

Gudi also noted that before the retirees are let go off, a graduation ceremony will be held in their honour with the Minister for Defence, Mansur Dan Ali and the Service Chiefs billed to attend the event.