113 students from the Armed Forces, strategic ministries, departments, and agencies graduated from the National Defence College’s (NDC) 31st course on Friday.
According to The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), there were 20 friendly nations represented among the other participants.
In his remarks at the ceremony, Rear Adm. Olumuyiwa Olotu, Commandant, NDC, stated that there were 39 officers from the Nigerian Army, 22 from the Nigerian Navy, and 5 from the Nigerian Air Force among the attendees.
Six members of the Nigerian Police Force, 20 members of other MDAs and paramilitary groups, and 21 foreign officials were among the others, according to him.
He claimed that the graduation ceremony was held in recognition of the women and men who had conscientiously taken part in the numerous writing exercises for strategy papers and field trips during the previous 11 months.
According to what we’ve been told, 113 people from the Nigerian Armed Forces, 20 friendly nations, and a few strategically important government departments and agencies are among the participants graduating today.
The participants’ roster includes 39 officers from the Nigerian Army, 22 from the Nigerian Navy, 5 from the Nigerian Air Force, 6 from the Nigerian Police Force, 20 from various paramilitary organisations and ministries, and 21 from other nations.
“This is the day to honour them accordingly,” he said. “These ladies and gentlemen have diligently participated in various strategic paper writing exercises and a few trips over the last 11 months.”
According to the commandant, the college was founded as the National War College on June 16, 1992, with the goal of creating future leaders who would be well-equipped to examine problems and offer strategic leadership, among other things.
He added that during the course, the campus community had offered top-notch academic and administrative assistance.
He claims that the college course curriculum’s Module 9 is devoted to the higher administration of the defence package, which includes exercises that replicate real-world circumstances and a study of national defence and security policies.
“Remarkably, this year’s exercises were centred on some of the most difficult security concerns Nigeria is currently facing, and via these exercises, the college gave the participants the information and skills they needed to deal with the volatile and complicated environment in which they were placed.
Additionally, participants have received specialised training in strategic decision-making, future strategic views, net analysis, and policy execution.
Therefore, he continued, “it is anticipated that this group of participants will help cover implementable solutions to current and upcoming national, regional, and even global challenges.”
Olotu added that the college had throughout the years trained a number of intelligent senior officers in both the military and civil spheres from other countries, which had allowed the alumni community to grow.
He continued by saying that the college also takes advantage of the chance to create international bridges, and that this is done through the personal connections made between the Nigerian participants and their international counterparts.
“It is heartening to note that throughout its 31 years of operation, the college has had a considerable impact on a number of Nigerian sectors, and the many participants from both inside and outside the nation contribute to policy concerns that in one way or another affect the country.
“I’m equally delighted to state that this college has a long history of participating in national assignments to various degrees with tremendous success, enhancing the college’s reputation.
Without a doubt, the college has left its mark on the political landscape of not only Nigeria but also the wider West African Subregion, he continued.
After 11 months of rigorous training, participants were awarded a Masters Degree in Strategic Studies and the Fellow of Defence College (FDC), according to NAN. They were also given medals of distinction for their exceptional research papers.
Col. George Ngue Baha from the Cameroonian Air Force, one of the foreign participants, said the seminar had improved his expertise at the strategic and command levels to solve security issues in his nation.
Ngue Baha praised the Nigerian government and the college for giving him the chance, saying that the challenges of security and development in Africa required comprehensive measures to address them. (NAN)
