The Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), Oshodi, Lagos, has graduated participants of the Senior and Mid-Level Officers Entrepreneurship and Management Course 18/2026, with a strong call for officers to embrace entrepreneurship, innovation and self-reliance as they transition from active military service to civilian life.
The graduation ceremony, held on Tuesday, brought together senior military officers, facilitators, and development partners, including the EMPRETEC Nigeria Foundation, to celebrate the successful completion of the intensive training programme designed to equip officers with business and managerial competencies.
The Special Guest of Honour, Rear Admiral I.E. Shehu, described the initiative as highly significant in preparing long-serving military personnel for life beyond the barracks. He said the programme provides participants with practical skills to convert their military experience into productive ventures in agriculture, business ownership, and enterprise management.
According to him, entrepreneurship has become a necessity in today’s economic realities, stressing that the training enables officers to become job creators, employers of labour, and contributors to national development after retirement.
Rear Admiral Shehu commended the Commandant of NAFRC, Air Vice Marshal Nnaemeka Ignatius Ilo, the Centre’s management, and the EMPRETEC Nigeria Foundation for sustaining the entrepreneurship programme and expanding opportunities for serving and retiring personnel through regular training cycles.
He also encouraged graduands to take full advantage of the knowledge gained in agriculture, food processing, packaging, and enterprise development, urging them to translate the training into viable businesses that would positively impact society.
In her address, the Country Representative of EMPRETEC Nigeria Foundation, Dr. Mrs. Onari Duke, described the graduation as a celebration of excellence, vision, and enterprise. She congratulated the participants for their discipline and commitment throughout the programme, noting that they had successfully expanded their leadership capacity into economic and entrepreneurial thinking.
Dr. Duke highlighted the participants’ study tour to CORMAT, a flagship enterprise of the Tropical General Investments (TGI) Group, describing it as a landmark exposure to global business operations and modern management practices. She said the experience provided rare insight into world-class industrial systems and strengthened the practical value of the course.
She reaffirmed that the partnership between EMPRETEC Nigeria Foundation and NAFRC is aimed at promoting economic empowerment, self-reliance, and sustainable national development among military personnel transitioning to civilian life.
Earlier, the Commandant of NAFRC, Air Vice Marshal Ilo, expressed satisfaction with the successful completion of the course, noting that the graduands were now better equipped for leadership, entrepreneurship, and business management roles.
He urged them to return to their respective services and formations as ambassadors of the Centre, applying the knowledge acquired to improve both personal and national development outcomes.
The Commandant also appreciated the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, the Service Chiefs, and the Chief of Defence Intelligence for their continued support, as well as the Minister of Defence and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for backing capacity-building initiatives within the Armed Forces.
The ceremony ended with congratulations to the graduating officers, with stakeholders expressing optimism that the programme will continue to produce disciplined, skilled, and economically empowered military personnel ready to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s growth beyond active service.
