The Nigerian Army has announced plans to expand its aviation wing and is exploring opportunities to train its pilots in South Africa to enhance operational capacity.
Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, disclosed this on Tuesday during a meeting with Chief of the South African Army, Lawrence Mbatha, who was on an official working visit to Nigeria.
Oluyede said the Nigerian Army recognizes the strong aviation capability of the South African Army and wants to leverage available training opportunities for its personnel.
“The issue of Nigerian Army aviation is very important to us. Of course, we are fully aware that the South African Army has a very good aviation establishment,” Oluyede said.
He added that the Nigerian Army is currently developing its aviation capacity and expects the program to expand significantly in the coming years.
“Currently, we are building our Army aviation and would like to leverage opportunities available to train our pilots in South Africa. Nigerian Army aviation will start to grow exponentially in the next few years,” he said.
Oluyede also revealed plans to expand training opportunities for military medical personnel, including specialized areas such as forensic pathology and critical care, through South African military health institutions.
Mbatha highlighted the long-standing military relationship between Nigeria and South Africa.
“My visit is not to start a new relationship but to build on the existing one. South Africa enjoys a very strategic relationship not only with the Nigerian Armed Forces but also with the people of Nigeria,” he said.
The South African Army chief said the visit aimed to learn from Nigeria’s operational experiences, particularly in addressing terrorism and insurgency, while sharing South Africa’s expertise in similar areas.
