The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), is collaborating with the Victims Support Fund (VSF) on a N75.8million research project titled ‘Insurgency and Counter Insurgency in Nigeria: Critical Perspectives on Boko Haram’.
Commandant of the Academy, Major General Adeniyi Oyebade who made the disclosure at the 29th convocation ceremony in honour of 66 regular course and post graduate students on Thursday, stated that the project seeks to conduct an original field based research on the Boko Haram insurgency, critically assess the past and ongoing counter insurgency operations and arrive at valuable policy solutions for the federal government and Nigeria’s international partners.
Oyebade also disclosed that in order to promote cutting edge research by the academic staff, NDA has instituted an annual research grant of N20million outside TETFund intervention with effect from this year adding that “Already, the sum of N7.5million has been released this year and is being utilized for the purpose.
Furthermore, the Commandant said NDA is bidding for the African Centre of Excellence (ACE) slot in the areas of Defence, Security and Material Science to enable the institution domicile world class research and knowledge transfer centers,
“Under this programme, NDA will begin to admit more international students who will be joining us from partner ACEs across Africa” he said.
Meanwhile, Major General Oyebade said the collaboration between the NDA and the National Defence College (NDC) for the running of Master and MPHIL in security and strategic studies for NDC Course participants which commenced in 2017 is on course.
“A total of 44 Army and Navy officers as well as one FRSC staff who are members of NDC Course 25 are part of the 2018 convocation ceremony having successfully met all requirements for graduation”.
A total of 416 cadets graduated with bachelor’s degrees. 3 made first class, 144 second class upper, 260 second class lower and 9, third class.
16 of the graduating cadets with outstanding performances have been offered course vacancies in foreign military academies to complete their training under bilateral defence cooperation initiatives between Nigeria and some friendly nations
Highlights convocation was the conferment of honourary Doctorate in Management Sciences on the executive chairman of Oriental Energy Resources Limited, Dr. Muhammadu Indimi, OFR, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank and Lt. General Chikadibia Obiakor (rtd), former Military Adviser to the United Nations for distinguishing themselves in service to the nation through significant contributions to social and economic development.
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