Nigeria and Rwanda are set to expand military training, personnel exchanges and defence industrial collaboration as part of new proposals to strengthen bilateral military cooperation and regional security.
The proposals were presented by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, during an official working visit to Rwanda.
According to a statement by the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Appolonia Anele, Lt. Gen. Shaibu made the proposals during talks with the Army Chief of Staff of the Rwanda Defence Force, Major General Vincent Nyakarundi.
He proposed that two Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) cadets undertake a four-year training programme at the Rwanda Military Academy, with reciprocal opportunities for Rwandan cadets.
He also proposed collaboration between the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) and relevant Rwandan institutions to promote indigenous defence production.
Other areas identified for cooperation include logistics, Military Police training, pre-deployment training for peace support operations through the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Centre, and the exchange of operational experience in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency.
Lt. Gen. Shaibu emphasized the need for both armies to leverage their expertise to address emerging security threats, improve operational readiness and strengthen regional stability.
On defence production, he called for closer collaboration between DICON and Rwanda’s defence engineering and procurement institutions to support local equipment production, technology development and greater self-reliance.
The Army Chief also paid tribute to the courage and sacrifices of the Rwandan Patriotic Army, particularly the 600 personnel who defended Kigali during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, describing their resilience and patriotism as enduring lessons in national resolve and military leadership.
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In his response, Maj. Gen. Nyakarundi commended the Nigerian Army for providing specialised Military Police and Intelligence training to Rwandan personnel.
He called for expanded professional military education through the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Army War College Nigeria and the National Defence College.
He welcomed the proposed cadet exchanges and defence industrial collaboration, describing the visit as a demonstration of growing mutual trust and professional solidarity between the two armies.
