US Cancels Training With Nigeria Military

U.S. Soldiers from Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, U.S. Army Europe and members of Romania's 21st Mountain Division assess an area of land for the site survey for a location for the soon-to-be-founded Forward Operating Base (FOB) Mescall, Afghanistan, March 25, 2009, near FOB Lagman, Afghanistan. (Photo Credit: U.S. Army/Christopher S. Barnhart/Released)

The United States has announced the discontinuation of its training of a Nigerian army battalion.

Although no reason was given for the cancellation, the US said it was at the request of the Nigerian government.

In a statement issued by its embassy in Abuja yesterday, the first two phases of the training were conducted between April and August this year.
“Based on mutual assessment of the Nigerian Army and US trainers, a third iteration of training was agreed upon with the intention of developing the battalion into a unit with advanced infantry skills,” it read.

The US expressed regret at what it said was the premature termination of the training, noting that the training was to be the first in a larger planned project that would have trained additional units with the goal of helping the Nigerian army build capacity to counter Boko Haram Sect.

“The US government will continue with other aspects of the extensive bilateral security relationship as well as all other assistance programmes,” it added.