Concord Times (Freetown)
Sierra Leone: Nigerian War College Offers Warfare Training to Soldiers
Pasco G. Temple
14 February 2011
Freetown — In its efforts to capacitate personnel of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has offered to train eight Sierra Leonean army personnel in land, maritime and air warfare at the Nigeria Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji in Kaduna state.
The AFCSC was established in May 1976, providing senior officers’ courses based on a curriculum derived from the British Army Staff College, Camberley. The establishment of the college was assisted by an advisory team from the British Army.
In April 1978, the college was expanded when the Army Junior Division was established to conduct courses for Captains in the Nigerian army. A Demonstration Battalion, the Army School of Artillery, and armour support from a composite armoured battalion in Kaduna were also located at Jaji.
Accordingly, the offer will affect four personnel each in the senior and junior cadres, whose nominations should be initiated and completed nine months before resumption date (September) of each course.
In the senior course slots, two senior personnel will be trained in land warfare, while (two), one each will be trained in maritime and air warfare respectively.
In the junior slots, two junior personnel will also be trained in land warfare, while (two); one each will be trained in maritime and air warfare respectively.
In September 1978, with the opening of the air faculty, Jaji was re-designated the Command and Staff College. The navy faculty was established in September 1981, assembling all senior military divisions in one campus.
By 1986, 1,172 officers had graduated from Jaji’s senior divisions, and 1,320 from the junior divisions.
Some highly placed Sierra Leonean military personnel both serving and retired including the former Chief of Defense Staff who now serves as Sierra Leone’s Deputy High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Major General (Rtd.) Edwin Sam Mboma, are products of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC).
