Britain Trains 150 Nigerian Army Personnel

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The British Military Advisory and Training Team (BMATT) has organised a five-day capacity training seminar for 150 Warrant Officers and Non-Commissioned Officers of the Nigerian Army.

The seminar is part of the collaborations between Nigeria and Britain in tackling the Boko Haram insurgency in the north-east and other similar security challenges across the oil-rich nation.

The commandant of the Nigerian Army School of Infantry, Major General Sani Muazu, made the disclosure on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, at the seminar held at the Armed Forces and Staff College, Jaji in Kaduna State on Tuesday.

The Army Chief said the BMATT had been assisting Nigeria in the capacity building of its military forces in the areas of tactics for over 35 years.

He explained that the seminar would focus on the operation development of the officers, with the aim of making the Nigerian Army a professional force.

General Buratai also noted that the Army had in the last one year embarked on intensive individual and group training of personnel within and outside the country, stressing that such initiative was already yielding positive result with the recent onslaught against the Boko Haram insurgents.

He urged the participants to make use of the opportunity of the training to up their capacities and knowledge in dealing with all forms of security threats such as; the Boko Haram insurgency, militancy, oil bunkering and kidnapping among other related crimes.

The Head of the British Military Advisory Council, Lieutenant Colonel Steward Howells, gave an insight into the contributions of his country in the capacity building of Nigerian military personnel.

He also expressed confidence that such training and collaboration in some key areas would assist Nigeria to overcome the current security challenges.

The training focused on capacity building development in three areas – Intelligence and Analysis, Operational Capacity Building and Force Sustainment.

These areas, according to the organisers of the seminar, are critical in the effort by the Nigerian Army to overcome the current security challenges.