Odita Sunday 
AIG Jimoh Urges Retiring Military Officers to Embrace Entrepreneurship
By Odita Sunday
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2, AIG Olohundare Jimoh, has urged military officers approaching retirement to turn their wealth of experience and newly acquired entrepreneurial skills into businesses capable of creating jobs and contributing to Nigeria’s economic growth.
Jimoh gave the charge on Friday as the Special Guest of Honour at the graduation of the Senior and Mid-Level Officers Entrepreneurship and Management Course 19/2026, organised by the Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre (NAFRC), Oshodi, Lagos.
The course, organised in collaboration with the Empretec Nigeria Foundation, brought together commissioned officers from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Defence Intelligence Agency, Defence Space Administration and NAFRC who are due for retirement or approaching retirement.
Jimoh said changing economic realities, technological advancement and global competition had made entrepreneurship increasingly important for military personnel preparing for life after service.
According to him, the officers must see entrepreneurship not merely as an alternative career path but as an opportunity to create wealth, generate employment and contribute to national development.
“Economic realities, technological advancement and global competition demand creativity, adaptability, innovation and sound managerial competence. Entrepreneurship is no longer an option but a necessity for sustainable economic growth, job creation and national stability,” he said.
The AIG urged the graduands to deploy the knowledge and skills acquired during the training to establish viable enterprises, stressing that their experience and discipline as military personnel could give them an advantage in business.
He also encouraged them to become ambassadors of peace, unity and development in their communities by establishing businesses capable of empowering young people, reducing unemployment and stimulating local economies.
Jimoh commended the NAFRC and Empretec Nigeria Foundation for sustaining the entrepreneurship programme, noting that it had produced entrepreneurs, administrators, employers of labour, industrialists and community leaders from among serving and retiring military personnel.
He said the latest participants received training in agriculture, food processing, packaging, entrepreneurship development and business management, as well as practical exposure through local and international study tours.
According to him, the combination of classroom instruction and practical exposure would help the officers bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and the realities of running successful enterprises.
Earlier, the Commandant of NAFRC, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Nnaemeka Ignatius Ilo, expressed confidence that the graduands were now better equipped to pursue enterprise development after their training.
Ilo urged them to apply the knowledge acquired during the course and remain good ambassadors of the centre.
He also expressed the hope that the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies would eventually participate in the programme, saying broader participation would strengthen cooperation, harmony and unity among Nigeria’s security services.
The commandant commended the centre’s Deputy Commandant/Director of Studies, directors, instructors and staff for their commitment to the programme, while also appreciating Mrs. Onari Duke and her team of facilitators at Empretec Nigeria Foundation for their contribution.
In her remarks, Duke, Country Director of Empretec Nigeria Foundation, described the graduands as having entered the programme as military officers and emerged as “architects of enterprise.”
She disclosed that the cohort was the first to visit the operational farm of agribusiness firm Cormat along the Ibadan Expressway and receive direct mentorship from a retired AVM identified as the owner of Profound Farm.
Duke urged the graduands to build their businesses on the integrity, discipline and leadership values acquired during their military careers.
She also encouraged them to remain receptive to mentorship as they transition into entrepreneurship, assuring them that Empretec’s support would continue beyond the training.
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