President Bola Tinubu on Thursday received the report of the Course 33 graduates of the National Defence College (NDC) at the State House, Abuja.
The delegation, led by the Commandant of the College, Rear Admiral Abdullahi Ahmed, presented the report during a visit to the Council Chambers, where the President commended the institution’s continued contribution to national security and strategic policy development.
Rear Admiral Ahmed disclosed that Course 33 comprised 99 participants — including 25 officers from the Nigerian Army, 16 from the Navy, 12 from the Air Force, 5 from the Police, and 18 officials drawn from various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs). The set also included 23 international participants from 18 countries across Africa, Asia, and South America, such as Botswana, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, India, Nepal, and Brazil.
The Commandant explained that the course, themed “Strengthening Institutions for National Security and Development in Nigeria,” focused on developing strategies to boost indigenous manufacturing as a driver of national security and economic growth. The participants’ research project, titled “Harnessing Indigenous Manufacturing for Enhanced National Security and Development: Strategic Options for Nigeria by 2040,” aligns with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on economic diversification, industrial growth, and national stability.
Ahmed noted that although the participants concluded their studies in August 2025, they reconvened for the formal presentation of their findings, a tradition the college maintains to offer strategic insights on issues of national relevance.
Providing background on the institution, he described the NDC — established in 1992 and formerly known as the National War College — as Nigeria’s highest military training institution, responsible for preparing senior officers from the armed forces, police, and key government agencies for leadership roles in security and policy formulation.
He added that the college’s Centre for Strategic Research and Studies serves as the ECOWAS Training Centre of Excellence for peace support operations, with over 3,000 graduates from Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America since its inception.
Rear Admiral Ahmed also appealed to President Tinubu to intervene in the completion of the college’s permanent site along the Abuja Airport Road, a project that has remained unfinished since 2010. “The college currently operates from its temporary site in the Central Business District. We seek Your Excellency’s kind intervention to complete this strategic national institution to enable participants dedicate more time to study and professional development,” he said.
