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B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
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Nigeria, U.S joint naval training begins
IN another record boost to military ties between the United States (U.S.) and Nigeria, a bilateral naval proficiency training has begun in the country.
Tagged: "Joint-Combined Exchange Training" (JCET), the programme which has brought together a small team of American naval personnel and their Nigerian counterparts kicked off as scheduled on Monday, the U.S. Mission to Nigeria confirmed yesterday.
Nigerian's Deputy Director, Defence Information Group, Captain Eniola Akinduro last week confirmed that a seven-man U.S. team was billed to participate in the 12-day programme.
It is holding at Nigeria's major naval training academy as well as the Nigerian Army's Amphibious Training School, near Calabar, Cross River State.
Participants during the training period ending on September 24, will focus on maritime skills, including boat maintenance, riverine navigation and seamanship.
The programme will afford participants the opportunity not only for training, but also cultural immersion.
Akinduro, however, has assured that the normal routine programme holding in Calabar will not involve massive troop movement nor disrupt local activities.
To improve its ties with Nigeria, the U.S, recently provided four Coast Guard buoy tender naval vessels, valued at $3.15 million to assist the Nigerian Navy in its ability to conduct search and rescue operations, environmental protection of coastal resources, address illegal fishing, smuggling and oil bunkering, and patrol the nation's territorial waterways.
The main purpose of the JCET exchange is to ensure that both nations not only keep their own military skills current but also to develop intercultural skills.
Under the JCET programme, training exercises are conducted around the world, including partnerships with many other African countries.
Nigeria and U.S. military have over the years developed a solid working relationship, based on mutual respect and exchange of ideas. The relationship ranges from joint military training to health and humanitarian assistance.
Th U.S. Embassy explained that the latest exchange training is part of the on-going military-to-military relationship that the U.S. shares with Nigeria.
It cited as example in 2000 and 2001 when U.S. trained five Nigerian Battalions for peacekeeping operations in Sierra Leone under Operation Focus Relief.
Also the U.S. Embassy's Office of Defence Co-operation has implemented humanitarian assistance programmes across the country, the most recently being the renovation and equipping of Misau General Hospital in Bauchi State.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Defence has pledged approximately $300,000 towards the setting up a modern medical research reference laboratory in the Mogadishu barracks, Abuja.
The laboratory when in place, will focus on vaccine research for HIV/AIDS, and provide a range of care from testing and diagnosis to anti-retroviral therapy and treatment of diseases.
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