The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has moved to deepen Nigeria’s defence relationship with Bangladesh through expanded military training, operational knowledge-sharing and institutional cooperation.
Lieutenant General Shaibu made the commitment on October 8 when he received the Bangladesh High Commissioner to Nigeria, His Excellency Miah Md Mainul Kabir, on a courtesy visit to Army Headquarters, Abuja.
The COAS said the Nigerian Army was prepared to share operational experience with Bangladesh in counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency and drone warfare technology, alongside expertise in the humanitarian management of internally displaced persons.
He directed relevant Army Headquarters departments to coordinate with defence authorities on joint training engagements and strategic frameworks aimed at strengthening the combat capabilities of the Nigerian Army.
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The engagement according to a statement issued by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele also produced an institutional initiative designed to preserve and expand existing links between the two countries’ military education systems.
Lieutenant General Shaibu approved the establishment of the National Defence College Bangladesh Alumni Association to bring together Nigerian military personnel who have completed strategic courses in Bangladesh.
He noted that the Chief of Military Intelligence (Army) and the General Officer Commanding 1 Division are among Nigerian officers who have undergone training at Bangladeshi military institutions.
According to the COAS, the alumni association would strengthen collaboration and institutionalise training exchanges, technical cooperation and diplomatic engagement between the two armed forces.
The initiative gives the existing defence relationship a broader institutional foundation, extending cooperation beyond individual courses to a network capable of sustaining professional and strategic exchanges between military personnel from both countries.
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In response, High Commissioner Miah Md Mainul Kabir expressed condolences to the Nigerian Army over the recent military aircraft crash in Ondo State and commended Nigeria’s contributions to United Nations peacekeeping operations.
He disclosed that 154 Nigerian officers have participated in courses at the Bangladesh National Defence College, highlighting the depth of existing military education links between the two countries.
The High Commissioner also advocated expanded institutional exchanges through Foreign Service Academy and military programmes to strengthen strategic leadership capacity and bilateral cooperation.
The engagement therefore places professional military education alongside operational cooperation as a central pillar of the Nigeria-Bangladesh defence relationship, with both sides seeking to expand the institutional channels through which military expertise and strategic leadership experience can be exchanged.
