THE NIGERIAN Defence Academy (NDA) will graduate 444 cadets of the 73 Regular Course and 3,064 postgraduate students at its 36th Convocation Ceremony.
The Academy Provost, Prof. Bolanle Ajibuah, disclosed this on Tuesday at a pre-convocation press briefing in Kaduna on behalf of the Commandant, Maj.-Gen. Olufemi Olatoye.
Ajibuah said the graduating cadets had successfully completed five years of training, comprising four years of academic studies and one year of full military training.
He said the cadets would be awarded Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc) and Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) degrees across 23 departments.
According to him, one of the graduating cadets is an allied cadet from Congo Brazzaville.
He said the 444 graduating cadets comprised 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.
On the classification of degrees, Ajibuah said 19 cadets graduated with First Class, 156 with Second Class Upper, 222 with Second Class Lower, while 47 obtained Third Class degrees.
He added that 3,064 postgraduate students would also receive PhDs, master’s degrees and postgraduate diplomas in various fields.
He said the postgraduate graduands comprised 160 PhD students, 2,132 master’s students and 769 postgraduate diploma students.
Ajibuah said the 24th Convocation Lecture would hold on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at the Ribadu Auditorium, Afaka.
He said the guest speaker would be retired Gen. Leo Irabor, former Chief of Defence Staff, who would speak on the topic, “Civil Military Relations in Nigeria: Governance and National Security.”
He said the pre-convocation dinner would hold on Sept. 23 at the NDA Officers’ Mess, Kaduna, while the 36th Convocation Ceremony would take place on Sept. 24 at the Ribadu Auditorium, Afaka.
According to him, the Vice President Kashim Shettima, is expected to serve as Special Guest of Honour at the convocation ceremony.
He said other invited dignitaries included the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, General Officers Commanding, Flag Officers Commanding, Air Officers Commanding and commanders of military formations.
He added that representatives of regulatory authorities and development partners, including the National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), were also expected.
The provost said five faculty best graduating cadets, 23 departmental best graduating cadets and five cadets with the best research projects would receive academic prizes.
He said the overall best graduating cadet in academics would also receive a special prize.
Ajibuah announced that two distinguished Nigerians, Engr. Adetokunbo Ogundeyin, Chairman/CEO of Proforce Ltd., and Alhaji Auwalu Abdullahi Rano, Chairman of AA Rano Group of Companies, would receive the NDA’s Honorary Degree (Honoris Causa).
He described the two honourees as eminent personalities who had distinguished themselves through entrepreneurship and contributions to national development.
The provost also highlighted some recent academic milestones recorded by the Academy, including the completion of its ultra-modern Senate Building, named after Prof. S.C. Ukpabi, the NDA’s first Academy Provost.
He said the Academy had also secured full NUC accreditation for all its academic programmes following the successful accreditation of six undergraduate and postgraduate programmes earlier in the year.
Ajibuah said the NDA had established a Directorate of Distance and e-Learning and had been selected to host the TETFund Regional Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Cyber Science (ARCS) for the North-West region.
He added that the Academy had also been selected to host the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises (iDICE) programme, a 618-million-dollar Federal Government initiative being implemented in collaboration with the Bank of Industry and African Development Bank.
He said the Academy had also completed and commissioned its Biodiversity and Conservation Centre to promote research in ecology and environmental sustainability.
On research and innovation, Ajibuah said the NDA Centre for Innovation and Creativity had developed several indigenous technologies, including a ground mobile attack vehicle, an indigenous driving simulator and an automated target station for the NDA Open Range.
Other innovations, he said, included a parade inspection electric vehicle, mini electric driver training vehicle, towable unmanned remote weapon station and two drone units for integration into the Academy’s security architecture.
He said the NDA had also renovated and re-equipped its Entrepreneurship Development Centre and organised two entrepreneurship and vocational skills training programmes for school children and officers’ wives during the summer holiday.
Ajibuah said the Academy remained committed to producing intellectually equipped, professionally competent and morally grounded leaders for the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other friendly nations. (NAN)
