By Egena Sunday Ode
The Commandant of the National Defence College (NDC), Rear Admiral A. Ahmed, on Thursday sought Presidential intervention to complete the college’s permanent site located along the Abuja Airport Road, describing it as a strategic national project that has remained unfinished since 2010.
Admiral Ahmed made the request when he led participants of Course 33 of the college on a visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for hosting the delegation despite his busy schedule of managing state affairs.
He said although members of Course 33 graduated in August 2025, they were honoured to reconvene for a presentation on a topic of national importance, in keeping with the college’s tradition of providing strategic insights on security and development.
Giving a brief background, the Commandant explained that the National Defence College, established in 1993 and originally known as the National War College, is Nigeria’s highest military institution for professional and strategic leadership training.
He said the college prepares senior officers from the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, and key ministries, departments and agencies for higher responsibilities in national security and policy formulation.
Ahmed added that the Centre for Strategic Research and Studies at the college serves as the ECOWAS Training Centre of Excellence for peace support operations at the strategic level.
“So far, the college has graduated 3,079 participants, including senior officers from the Armed Forces, Police, and strategic government institutions, as well as international participants from Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America,” he said.
