President Paul Kagame received Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, for discussions on ways to deepen existing defence cooperation between the two countries.
The meeting took place during Shaibu’s working visit to Rwanda, which included engagements with senior Rwanda Defence Force officials.
Shaibu earlier met RDF Chief of Defence Staff General Mubarakh Muganga and held bilateral discussions with Army Chief of Staff Major General Vincent Nyakarundi. Their talks covered existing military cooperation and security matters of mutual interest.
The two armies discussed implementing existing agreements in military training and exchanges involving instructors and logistics personnel.
Shaibu also proposed reciprocal cadet training, under which two Nigerian Defence Academy cadets would undertake a four-year programme at the Rwanda Military Academy, with similar opportunities offered to Rwandan cadets in Nigeria.
Other proposals included cooperation between the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria and relevant Rwandan institutions on local defence production and technology development.
The discussions also covered logistics, military police training, preparation for peace support operations and the exchange of experience in counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations.
Nyakarundi welcomed the proposed cadet exchanges and defence-industry cooperation. He also called for wider access to professional military education through Nigerian institutions, including the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Army War College Nigeria and National Defence College.
The Nigerian delegation also visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial and the Campaign Against Genocide Museum as part of its programme in Rwanda.
Rwanda’s Ministry of Defence said the engagements reflected continuing efforts by the two countries to implement existing cooperation arrangements in training, personnel exchanges and logistics.
Elie GATETE
RADIOTV10