Kaduna: The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) is set to graduate 444 cadets of the 73 Regular Course and 3,064 postgraduate students at its 36th Convocation Ceremony. This announcement was made by the Academy Provost, Prof. Bolanle Ajibuah, during a pre-convocation press briefing in Kaduna, representing the Commandant, Maj.-Gen. Oluyemi Olatoye.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the graduating cadets have completed five years of training, which includes four years of academic studies and one year of comprehensive military training. The cadets will receive Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc), and Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) degrees in various disciplines. Among the cadets, one is an allied cadet from Congo Brazzaville.
The breakdown of the 444 graduating cadets shows 152 from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, 53 from Engineering and Technology, 128 from Science, 56 from Management Studies, and 55 from Military Science and Interdisciplinary Studies. In terms of academic performance, 19 cadets graduated with First Class honors, 156 with Second Class Upper, 222 with Second Class Lower, and 47 with Third Class degrees.
Additionally, 3,064 postgraduate students will be awarded PhDs, master’s degrees, and postgraduate diplomas. This group includes 160 PhD students, 2,132 master’s students, and 769 postgraduate diploma students. The convocation events will feature a lecture delivered by retired Gen. Lucky Irabor, former Chief of Defence Staff, focusing on ‘Civil Military Relations in Nigeria: Governance and National Security.’
The Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, is anticipated to be the Special Guest of Honour at the convocation ceremony. Other notable attendees include the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, and various military commanders. Several academic prizes will be awarded to the top-performing cadets, including the overall best graduating cadet in academics.
The NDA will also confer Honorary Degrees (Honoris Causa) on two distinguished individuals, Adetokunbo Ogundeyin and Alhaji Auwalu Rano, acknowledging their entrepreneurial successes and contributions to national development. The Academy has recently achieved several academic milestones, such as completing its ultra-modern Senate Building and securing full NUC accreditation for its academic programmes.
The NDA has launched a Directorate of Distance and e-Learning and has been chosen to host the TETFund Regional Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Cyber Science for the North-West region. The Academy will also host the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme, in collaboration with the Bank of Industry and African Development Bank.
Furthermore, the Academy has completed a Biodiversity and Conservation Centre to support ecological research and sustainability efforts. The NDA’s Centre for Innovation and Creativity has developed indigenous technologies, including a ground mobile attack vehicle and various electric vehicles for training and security purposes.
The NDA remains dedicated to nurturing leaders who are intellectually equipped, professionally competent, and morally grounded for the Armed Forces of Nigeria and allied nations.