CDS Launches Nationwide Skill Training to Boost Livelihoods of Retired Military Personnel

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has urged retired military officers and personnel to embrace skills acquisition as a pathway to improving their post-service living standards.

Speaking on Wednesday at the opening of a three-day skills acquisition programme in Yola, Oluyede said the initiative is designed to equip veterans with practical expertise to build sustainable agricultural businesses across various value chains. He explained that the programme complements the poverty alleviation efforts of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Represented by the Army Director of the Veterans Affairs Division, Maj. Gen. Oluwafemi Williams, the CDS expressed concern over the declining purchasing power of retired military personnel, which he said continues to affect their welfare and that of their families. He added that this challenge informed his directive to roll out a nationwide skills training initiative tailored to all six geopolitical zones.

The training features a broad range of vocational courses, including poultry and fish farming, snail farming, animal husbandry, livestock management, irrigation systems, integrated farming, and modern crop production. Oluyede encouraged participants to build networks with trainers, fellow retirees, and private sector stakeholders to enhance their business prospects.

In his welcome remarks, the Director of the Veterans Affairs Division, represented by Brig. Gen. Caius Baushe, said the programme would empower ex-servicemen to better navigate post-retirement difficulties. Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, represented by his Chief of Staff, Amos Edgar, praised the Defence Headquarters for the initiative and urged beneficiaries to apply the skills to transform their livelihoods.

A retired Air Force officer, Master Warrant Officer Yirka Mark, urged federal and state governments to consider engaging physically fit veterans as forest guards to bolster security operations against criminals hiding in remote areas.

The programme comes two months after retired military personnel took to the streets of Abuja to protest the non-payment of their retirement benefits.