1st December, 2014
By Simon Ateba
The frosty relationship between Nigeria and the United States worsened on Monday with Nigeria cancelling a training of an Army Battalion by American security officials.
”At the request of the Nigerian government, the United States will discontinue its training of a Nigerian Army battalion,” the US Embassy in Abuja said in a statement.
The first two phases of training were conducted between April and August 2014, and had provided previously untrained civilian personnel with basic soldiering skills.
“Based on mutual assessment of the Nigerian Army and US trainers, a third iteration of training was agreed upon with the intent of developing the battalion into a unit with advanced infantry skills.
“We regret premature termination of this training, as it was to be the first in a larger planned project that would have trained additional units with the goal of helping the Nigerian Army build capacity to counter Boko Haram,” America said.
The US government said it will continue other aspects of the extensive bilateral security relationship, as well as all other assistance programmes with Nigeria.