LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Nigerian Army is seeking advanced overseas training for its medical personnel to strengthen trauma care capacity for troops, following a new collaboration with South Africa aimed at expanding specialized healthcare skills within the armed forces.
Through this partnership, the military aims to strengthen healthcare support for soldiers by sending more military doctors abroad for specialized medical training, as part of a broader plan to improve treatment capacity for personnel across operational units. Military authorities say the initiative will prioritize advanced clinical fields needed to manage battlefield injuries and complex medical emergencies affecting troops in active zones.
The plan was disclosed by the Chief of Army Staff, Waidi Shaibu, during a bilateral meeting with the visiting Chief of the South African Army, Lawrence Mbatha. According to Shaibu, the collaboration will allow Nigerian military doctors to receive specialized training in South Africa in areas considered critical for modern military medicine, including forensic pathology and trauma-focused critical care.
“These are opportunities that we will bring to the table and also opportunities that we would like to explore in South Africa. Other areas that we can look forward to include training for our medical personnel in South African military health services and institutions. Currently we are looking forward to avenues to train additional doctors in critical areas like forensic pathology as well as critical care, especially relating to trauma injuries,” he said.
The proposed programme forms part of an expanding defence cooperation between Nigeria and South Africa, particularly in professional training, medical knowledge exchange and institutional capacity building. Furthermore, military leaders say such medical expertise is increasingly important as troops continue to operate in demanding environments where rapid response to injuries can determine survival outcomes.
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Beyond healthcare, discussions between the two armies also covered aviation development and pilot training. The Nigerian Army is currently building its aviation capability and hopes to utilize South Africa’s established military aviation structure to accelerate pilot training.
“The issue of the Nigerian Army aviation is very important to us. Currently we are building our army aviation and would like to leverage opportunities available to train our pilots in South Africa,” Shaibu said.
The Chief of Army Staff noted that strengthening operational support systems, including healthcare and air mobility remains crucial for ongoing security operations against insurgent groups in Nigeria’s North-east.
Meanwhile, both countries already operate military exchange programmes that allow officers to attend courses in each other’s institutions. Currently, a Nigerian Army officer is studying at the South African Defence College, while a South African female officer is undergoing training at the Army War College, Nigeria.
Military officials also identified further areas for collaboration, including cyber warfare, aviation training and medical services. Nigeria, in turn, may provide specialized instruction for South African personnel in counter-terrorism and improvised explosive device response through the Nigerian Army School of Infantry and the Nigerian Army School of Mechanical Engineering.
Mbatha said the visit provided an opportunity for South Africa to learn from Nigeria’s operational experience in confronting terrorism and other asymmetric threats. He acknowledged the Nigerian Army’s extensive battlefield exposure, particularly in dealing with insurgent tactics involving improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Notably, expanded military cooperation between both nations is expected to deepen technical knowledge sharing while strengthening the healthcare capacity needed to protect soldiers operating in complex security environments.
