A HISTORY OF THE NIGERIAN DEFENCE ACADEMY 1964-2006

There are few researches on the role of military institutions in Nigeria, and therefore, military history is still at infancy in the Nigerian historiography. This research is therefore an attempt to re-construct the history of Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) from 1964-2006. The NDA was established in 1964 and charged with the role of training military officers for the Defence need of independent Nigeria. From its establishment in 1964, the graduates of the NDA were awarded National Certificates of Education (NCE) apart from being commissioned into the officer cadre of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The examination was prepared and conducted` by the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. In 1985 the academy was upgraded to a degree awarding institution. Apart from the regular cadet, the institution also runs Short Service and Direct Short Service for holders of Degree and Higher National Diploma from Universities and Polytechnics. In 2005 president Olusegun Obasanjo commissioned the post-graduate school which commenced its activities in the 2005/2006 academic session. The institution also recorded tremendous achievement by producing many prominent military officers in Nigeria who contributed in the maintenance of peace in the country and abroad. Moreover, some of the products of NDA wrote quite a number of text books that are being used in Nigerian tertiary institutions. The contribution of NDA was thus beyond military training but also in the intellectual arena. Despite the achievement of NDA, the institution has been facing numerous problems, Such as favouritism in the recruitment of candidates. This research was carried out through the use of primary and secondary sources.

The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) was established on 5th February, 1964 to trains officers for the Armed Forces of Nigeria in response to the defence need of independent Nigeria. Before then, the institution responsible for Military training in Nigeria was known as the Royal Military Forces Training College (RMFTC).1After independence in 1960, the college became known as the Nigerian Military Training College (NMTC). The role of the Academy was to provide each officer cadet with knowledge, skills and values necessary to meet the requirements of a military officer through military, academic and character development. In 1964 NMTC was renamed Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA). The NDA is an institution where selected young able-bodied men and women are groomed into well educated, courageous, virile and erudite subalterns. The vision of the NDA is to produce officers with broad-based training in both military and academic subjects designed to serve as a foundation for the future progressive development of officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces.2

The mission of NDA similar to NMTC, is to provide each officer cadet with the knowledge, skills and values necessary to meet the requirements of a military officer through Military, Academic and character development.3 Since its establishment, the NDA has contributed towards maintenance of peace in the country and abroad. This research attempts to examine the history of Nigerian Defence Academy from 1964-2006. The research is divided into five chapters. Chapter one gives the general background of the Nigerian Defence Academy. Chapter two discusses the history of Kaduna where NDA is located area of study. Chapter three focuses on the origin of the Nigerian Defence Academy. Chapter four examines training and operational structures of the Nigerian Defence Academy. Finally chapter five provides summary and conclusions of the study.