The Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), Oshodi, Lagos, has inaugurated Pre-Discharge Course 2/2026 for 689 retiring military personnel, reaffirming its commitment to equipping service members with vocational, entrepreneurial and life skills for a successful transition to civilian life.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division, Maj. Gen. Adebayo Babalola, who served as Special Guest of Honour, while the Commandant of NAFRC, Air Vice Marshal Nnaemeka Ilo, presided over the event.
In his welcome address, the Director of Training, Brig. Gen. Isang Akpaumontia, said the Centre was established to prepare retiring personnel of the Nigeria military for productive post-service careers through comprehensive vocational, management and entrepreneurship training.
Akpaumontia disclosed that 840 personnel were nominated for Course 2/2026, comprising 523 from the Nigerian Army, 89 from the Nigerian Navy and 228 from the Nigerian Air Force.
He explained that 689 participants had so far been received, documented, accommodated and medically screened, while 136 were declared medically unfit to continue the course and returned to their respective units for further treatment. He added that 12 nominees were yet to report.
According to him, participants have been assigned to various workshops where they will receive training in agriculture, information technology, auto mechanics, bakery and confectionery, tailoring and fashion design, welding and fabrication, refrigeration and air conditioning, leather works, photography, ceramics, fine arts, water production technology, security and business management, among others.
He noted that the programme also includes entrepreneurship development, financial management, counselling, general studies, industrial attachments and study tours designed to prepare participants for life after military service.
The Director of Training urged participants to uphold the highest standards of discipline, integrity and professionalism throughout the six-month residential programme, stressing that attendance at all lectures, practical sessions and other activities was compulsory.
Delivering the keynote address, the Special Guest of Honour, Maj. Gen. Adebayo Babalola, described retirement from military service as the beginning of a new phase filled with opportunities rather than the end of productive life.
He commended the leadership of NAFRC for sustaining one of Africa’s foremost military resettlement institutions, noting that the Centre continues to make significant contributions to the welfare of retiring personnel and Nigeria’s socio-economic development.
Babalola encouraged participants to embrace the training with dedication and an open mind, saying the entrepreneurial, vocational, financial literacy and management skills offered by the Centre would position them as employers of labour, successful entrepreneurs, consultants and community leaders after retirement.
He also thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Service Chiefs and other stakeholders for their continued support towards strengthening the Centre.
Earlier, the Commandant, Air Vice Marshal Nnaemeka Ilo, expressed appreciation to Maj. Gen. Babalola for honouring the invitation despite his demanding schedule.
Ilo disclosed that NAFRC is reviewing its training curriculum in collaboration with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to ensure participants graduate with nationally recognised certifications that will enhance their competitiveness in the labour market.
He said the Centre plans to convene a stakeholders’ summit to finalise the curriculum enhancement before the participants complete the programme.
The Commandant urged participants to take the course seriously, adapt to civilian realities, maintain discipline on social media and channel all grievances through established administrative procedures.
Addressing the participants, Ilo described them as “the next generation of entrepreneurs” who, after the programme, are expected to become employers of labour and contributors to national development.
He thereafter formally inaugurated NAFRC Pre-Discharge Course 2/2026, wishing all participants a successful and rewarding training programme.
