Nigerian Defence Academy

Nigerian Defence Academy
N.D.A
	File:Nigerian Defence Academy logo.png
Motto	Loyalty and valour
Type	Military Academy
Established	February 1964
Commandant	Major General Ibrahim Manu Yusuf
Students	~3,500
Location	Kaduna, Nigeria
Campus	Afaka and Ribadu
Battalions	Burma, Mogadishu, Abyssinia, and Dalet
Colors	Green and red
Website	www.nda.edu.ng

The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) is a military university based in Kaduna, Nigeria that trains officer cadets for commissioning into one of the three services of the Nigerian Armed Forces: the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. The duration of training at the Nigerian Defence Academy is five years (four years academic and one year military).

History

The NDA was established in February 1964 as a reformation of the British run Royal Military Forces Training College (RMFTC), which had been renamed the Nigerian Military Training College (NMTC) on independence. The military institution trains the officer corps of the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force. The initial class had only 62 cadets, and the trainers were mostly officers in the Indian Army. The Nigerian National Defence Academy (NDA) follows the pattern of similar NDA in Khadakwasla, Pune, India. The first commandant of NDA was Indian Army Brigadier M.R Verma. The NDA grew to an all Nigerian training staff only in 1978.^[1] In 1981 itself began bilateral training of foreign militaries. In 1985 the academy commenced offering undergraduate programmes to Military Officers In Training and now also currently offers post graduate studies both for Msc and Ph.D for both military and civilian students alike. The central mission remains the training of young officer cadets in the 5 year "Regular Combatant Course" in which cadets are groomed in Military, Academic and Character development to instill discipline and leadership skills according to global best practices, culminating in the award of a bachelor's degree and presidential commissioning into the rank of second lieutenant for Army cadets or equivalent in the Navy and Air Force for respective cadets. Until 2011 this course used to be exclusively for males, the first set of female cadets commenced training in September 2011. As of 2019, its total cadet class is around 2500.^[1]

The current Commandant is Major General Ibrahim Manu Yusuf who was the former registrar of the academy. He took over from Maj Gen Sagir Yaro.^[2] Before his appointment, Yaro was the general managing director, Nigerian Army Welfare Limited by Guarantee (NAWLG).^[3]

Commandants

Below is the chronological list of NDA Commandants:

Brigadier M.R. Varma (1964 – 1969) (Indian national and 1st Commandant of the NDA)
Major General David Ejoor (January 1969 – January 1971) (1st Nigerian Commandant)
Major General Robert Adeyinka Adebayo (January 1971 – March 1971)
Major General Eyo Okon Ekpo (March 1971 – February 1975)
Brigadier Illiya Bisalla (February 1975 – August 1975)
Brigadier Gibson Jalo (August 1975 – January 1978)
Brigadier E.S. Armah (January 1978 – July 1978)
Brigadier Joseph Garba (July 1978 – July 1979)
Brigadier Zamani Lekwot (July 1979 – 1982)
Brigadier Abdullahi Shelleng (1982 – January 1984)
Major General Paul Tarfa (January 1984 – 1985)
Major General Peter Adomokai (1986 – 1988)
Lieutenant General Salihu Ibrahim (1988 – 1990)
Lieutenant General Garba Duba (1990 – February 1992)
Lieutenant General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau (February 1992 – January 1993)
Lieutenant General Mohammed Balarabe Haladu (January 1993 – 1994)
Air Marshal Al-Amin Daggash (1994 – June 1998)
Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi (June 1998 – 1999)
Major General Thaddeus Ashei (2000 – 2002)
Major General Okon Edet Okon (2002 – 2003)
Major General Patrick Ademu Akpa (2003 – 2004)
Lieutenant General Abel Akale (2004 – 2006)
Major General Harris Dzarma (2006 – August 2008)
Major General Mamuda Yerima (August 2008 – August 2010)
Major General Emeka Onwuamaegbu (August 2010 – December 2013)^[4]
Major General Muhammad Inuwa Idris (December 2013 – August 2015)
Major General Mohammed Tasiu Ibrahim (August 2015 – October 2017)
Major General Adeniyi Oyebade (October 2017 – November 2019)
Major General Jamilu Sarham (November 2019 – March 2021)
Major General Sagir Yaro (March 2021 – April 2021)
Major General Ibrahim Manu Yusuf (April 2021 – Present)

Alumni

Some notable alumni:

Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, former Chief of Army Staff
Alexander Ogomudia, former Chief of Defence Staff & Chief of Army Staff
Sani Abacha, former Military ruler of Nigeria
Muhammadu Buhari, President of Nigeria and former Military Head of State
Azubuike Ihejirika, former Chief of Army Staff
Dangiwa Umar, former Governor of Kaduna State
Gideon Orkar, April 1990 coup leader
Tukur Yusuf Buratai, former Chief of Army Staff, Nigerian Army
Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, former Chief of Naval Staff, Nigerian Navy
Kayode Are, former National Security Adviser and Director General State Security Service
Maxwell Khobe, former ECOMOG Peacekeeping Force Commander and Chief of Defence Staff, Sierra Leone
Emeka Onwuamaegbu Former Commandant, NDA
Muhammad Inuwa Idris, Former Commandant, NDA
Oladipo Diya, former Chief of Defence Staff
Owoye Andrew Azazi, former Chief of Defence Staff & Chief of Army Staff
Sultan Sa'adu Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto
Sambo Dasuki, National Security Adviser
Tunji Olurin, former military governor of Oyo State
Victor Malu, former Chief of Army Staff
John Michael Ogidi, former ECOMOG Officer and Commander Corps of Signals Lagos Headquarters

References

^ ^a ^b Welcome page, NIGERIAN DEFENCE ACADEMY, www.nigeriandefenceacademy.edu.ng (2008), accessed 2009-04-20
^ Ahmadu-Suka, Maryam. "General Jamilu takes over as 29th NDA Commandant". Daily Trust. Daily Trust.
^ Owolabi, Femi (11 March 2021). "Army appoints Sagir Yaro as NDA commandant". www.the cable.ng.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ "Shake up in the military". The Nation. Retrieved 19 July 2015.

External links

No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.
Nigerian Defence Academy at the Wayback Machine (archive index)

[intro-1] Welcome page, NIGERIAN DEFENCE ACADEMY, www.nigeriandefenceacademy.edu.ng (2008), accessed 2009-04-20

[2] Ahmadu-Suka, Maryam. "General Jamilu takes over as 29th NDA Commandant". Daily Trust. Daily Trust.

[3] Owolabi, Femi (11 March 2021). "Army appoints Sagir Yaro as NDA commandant". www.the cable.ng.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[TN-4] "Shake up in the military". The Nation. Retrieved 19 July 2015.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e Universities in Nigeria
Federal	Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo Ahmadu Bello University Bayero University Kano Federal University, Birnin Kebbi Federal University Dutse Federal University, Dutsin-Ma Federal University, Gashua Federal University, Gusau Federal University Kashere Federal University, Lokoja Federal University, Otuoke Federal University Oye Ekiti Federal University, Wukari Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta Federal University of Agriculture, Zuru Federal University of Lafia Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun Federal University of Technology Akure Federal University of Technology, Minna Federal University of Technology Owerri Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Modibbo Adama Federal University of Technology, Yola National Open University of Nigeria Nigeria Maritime University Nigerian Army University Biu Nigerian Defence Academy Nnamdi Azikiwe University Obafemi Awolowo University University of Abuja University of Agriculture, Makurdi University of Benin University of Calabar University of Ibadan University of Ilorin University of Jos University of Lagos University of Maiduguri University of Nigeria University of Port Harcourt University of Uyo Usmanu Danfodiyo University
State	Abia State University Uturu Adamawa State University Adekunle Ajasin University Akwa Ibom State University Ambrose Alli University Bauchi State University Bayelsa Medical University Benue State University Borno State University Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Cross River University of Technology Delta State University Ebonyi State University Edo University, Iyamho Ekiti State University Enugu State University of Science and Technology Gombe State University Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Imo State University Kaduna State University Kano State University of Technology Kebbi State University of Science and Technology Kogi State University Kwara State University Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Lagos State University Nasarawa State University Niger Delta University Olabisi Onabanjo University Ondo State University of Science and Technology Osun State University Plateau State University Rivers State University Sokoto State University Sule Lamido University Tai Solarin University of Education Taraba State University The Polytechnic, Ibadan Umaru Musa Yar'adua University University of Africa, Toru-Orua Yobe State University Bukar Abba Ibrahim University Zamfara State University
Private	Achievers University Afe Babalola University Ajayi Crowther University Al-Hikmah University American University of Nigeria Anchor University Arthur Javis University Augustine University Ilara Babcock University Baze University Bells University of Technology Benson Idahosa University Bingham University Bowen University Caleb University Caritas University CETEP City University Chrisland University Christopher University Coal City University Covenant University Crawford University Crescent University Elizade University Fountain University Godfrey Okoye University Gregory University Hezekiah University Igbinedion University Joseph Ayo Babalola University Kings University Koladaisi University Kwararafa University Landmark University Lead City University Madonna University McPherson University Mountain Top University Nile University of Nigeria Novena University Obong University Oduduwa University Pan-Atlantic University Paul University Redeemer's University Nigeria Renaissance University Rhema University Ritman University Salem University Samuel Adegboyega University Tansian University University of Mkar Veritas University Wellspring University Wesley University Western Delta University