# Nigerian Defence Academy

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. In 1981, it 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.

## Organization
### Administration

The current Commandant is Major General John Ochai. He took over from Major Gen Ibrahim Manu Yusuf.

### Military structure

* Headquarters
* Directorate of Military Training
* Directorate of Administration
** NDA Hospital
** NDA Provost Command
** Administration Battalion
** 92 MIR
** 37 NDA Demonstration Battalion
** NDA Band
** Religious Affairs Department
** Legal Department
** Civilian Personnel Unit
** NDA National Youth Service Corps
* Directorate of ICT
* Directorate of Logistics
* Cadet Brigade
* Directorate of Coordination
* Directorate of Finance

## Academics
### Academic structure

* School of Postgraduate Studies
* Undergraduate Admission
* Postgraduate Admission
* Faculty of Engineering
* Faculty of Science
* Faculty of Art and Social Science
* Faculty of Military Science
* Faculty of Management Science

### Academic Library

Nigerian Defence Academy Library is the main Library that support both teaching and military training. The library acquired and developed information resources that meet the information needs of cadets, faculty members, officers and civilians staff. The academy library was launched at the end of 1963 to facilitate and enhance effective learning. The Library was finally moved to the permanent site on the 16 of June 2009 for effective teaching and learning to meet the objectives and the current Academy Librarian is Umar Lawal.

### Research Elements

* Centre For Critical Thinking, Teaching and Learning
* Centre for Defence Studies And Documentation
* Academic Planning Unit
* Research Methodology Office (RMO)
* Directorate for Collaborations, Affiliations and Linkages

## Student life
### Cadet Brigade

The Cadet Brigade (CB) is one of the main organs of the NDA. There are a total of 2,990 Regular Combatant cadets in the Academy and 12 allied cadets from Burkina-Faso, Sierra Leone, Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Liberia. The Brigade is commanded by an Army officer and is designated as the Cadets Brigade Commander (CBC). The CB comprises the following:
* Headquarters
* Mogadishu Battalion
* Dalet Battalion
* Abyssinia Battalion
* Burma Battalion
* Ashanti Battalion
* Colito Battalion
* Counseling Unit
* Preparatory Wing
* Valiant Magazine Office

### NDA Band

The NDA Band is responsible for the provision of military music at regimental occasions such as POP, beating the retreat, dinner nights as well as dance band for social gatherings like wedding ceremonies, mess activities or as the circumstances dictate. The NDA Band headed by an Assistant Director of Music (ADOM).

### NDA Anthem

* Lyrics
* Academy, my academy, our academy.
* Academy mother of African warriors.
* Academy of wonders, fascination and adventures.
* Academy mother of all Generals, Admirals and Air Marshals.
* You indeed are the cradle of service with courage conviction and victory.
* Academy of indelible memories, dreams and visions.
* Academy Academy, in you I realized my potentials and in you I am what I am.
* Forever the academy, long live the academy
* Forever the Nigerian Defence Academy…
* — CYBER BOSS

## 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)
* 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 Jamil Sarham (November 2019 – March 2021)
* Major General Sagir Yaro (March 2021 – April 2021)
* Major General Ibrahim Manu Yusuf (April 2021 – June 2023)
* Major General John Ochai (June 2023 – present)

## 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
* Christopher Gwabin Musa, incumbent Chief of the Defence Staff
* Lawal Jafar Isa, former Military Governor of kaduna state