Page 58 - Cormorant 2019

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Nigeria
Wg Cdr Jake McAllister
NIGERIA IS THE MOST
populous country in Africa
with a current estimated “ population of over 200
million people. It is the
number one economic power in Africa and one of the world’s biggest producers of crude oil. As we flew overnight from
Heathrow to Abuja, these impressive facts, and many others, were shared among us. After checking into our hotel, we all headed out for lunch to the ex-pat favourite, The Secret Garden, Abuja’s Pizza House. Alongside standard pizza fare were some local dishes such as peppered gizzard...a must for our Royal Marine who was
Alongside
standard pizza fare were
some local dishes such as peppered gizzard... ◆◆◆
keen to immerse himself in all things Nigerian. Despite looking like he had devoured CS Spray he finished the dish and insisted many of us try the ‘special sauce’. Culinary tip number one... Nigerians use a LOT of chillies. That evening we
were hosted by the Nigerian Air Force for a meal of barbecued catfish; it would become a familiar staple.
Day two was spent in the High Commission receiving some excellent briefs from cross government staffs, British Military staff and Defence Attachés including those from UK, France, USA, Germany and Denmark. The briefings gave us a gritty and detailed insight into the pressures, challenges, threats and opportunities associated with operating in Nigeria. The evening was spent at the Defence Attaché’s residence along with numerous Nigeria alumni of ACSC and RCDS. We enjoyed an energetic display of traditional dancing with some ACSC22 members involved.
Day three consisted of engagements with the Nigerian Army War College (NAWC) and the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC). The NAWC visit consisted of briefings from senior members of the directing staff on the challenges currently facing the Nigerian Army. They are deployed in thirty of the thirty six states on seven named operations ranging from countering Islamic Extremism, kidnapping, farmer/herder violence, and illegal oil activity to lawlessness and banditry.