NDA graduates 444 cadets, 3,064 postgraduates
September 9, 2026 12:15 am
Nigerian Defence Academy
The Nigerian Defence Academy will graduate 444 cadets of the 73 Regular Course and 3,064 postgraduate students at its 36th convocation ceremony scheduled to be held on September 24 in Kaduna.
The NDA Academy Provost, Prof Bolanle Ajibua, disclosed this on Tuesday at a pre-convocation press briefing in Kaduna on behalf of the Commandant, Maj Gen Oluyemi Olatoye.
Ajibua said the graduating cadets had undergone five years of training comprising four years of academic studies and one year of full military training.
He explained that the cadets would be awarded Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Engineering degrees across 23 departments.
According to him, the 444 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.
“One of the graduating cadets is an allied cadet from Congo Brazzaville,” he added.
On the academic performance of the cadets, Ajibua said 19 graduated with First Class, 156 with Second Class Upper, 222 with Second Class Lower, while 47 obtained Third Class degrees.
He further disclosed that the 3,064 postgraduate graduands comprised 160 PhD students, 2,132 master’s students and 769 postgraduate diploma students.
The provost said the 24th convocation lecture would be held on Wednesday (today) at the Ribadu Auditorium, Afaka, with the former Chief of Defence Staff, retired Gen Leo Irabor, as guest speaker.
Irabor is expected to speak on “Civil-Military Relations in Nigeria: Governance and National Security.”
He said the pre-convocation dinner would take place on September 23 at the NDA Officers’ Mess, Kaduna, while the main convocation ceremony would hold on September 24 at the Ribadu Auditorium.
Ajibua said Vice President Kashim Shettima was expected to be the special guest of honour, alongside the Chief of Defence Staff, Service Chiefs, General Officers Commanding, Flag Officers Commanding, Air Officers Commanding and other senior military commanders.
Representatives of the National Universities Commission, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and Tertiary Education Trust Fund are also expected at the ceremony.
The provost said the NDA would reward five faculty best graduating cadets, 23 departmental best graduating cadets and five cadets with the best research projects.
He added that the overall best graduating cadet in academics would receive a special prize.
Ajibua also announced that the Academy would confer honorary degrees on the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Proforce Limited, Adetokunbo Ogundeyin, and the Chairman of AA Rano Group of Companies, Alhaji Auwalu Rano.
He described the two honourees as “eminent personalities” who had distinguished themselves through entrepreneurship and contributions to national development.
Highlighting the Academy’s recent achievements, Ajibua said the NDA had completed its ultra-modern Senate Building, named after the institution’s first Academy Provost, Prof S.C. Ukpabi.
He said the Academy had also secured full accreditation from the NUC for all its academic programmes following the successful accreditation of six undergraduate and postgraduate programmes earlier in the year.
According to him, the NDA has established a Directorate of Distance and e-Learning and was selected to host the TETFund Regional Centre of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Cyber Science for the North-West region.
The Academy, he added, was also selected to host the Investment in Digital and Creative Enterprises programme, a $618m Federal Government initiative being implemented in collaboration with the Bank of Industry and African Development Bank.
On research and innovation, Ajibua said the NDA Centre for Innovation and Creativity had developed several indigenous technologies, including a ground mobile attack vehicle, driving simulator, automated target station, parade inspection electric vehicle, mini electric driver training vehicle and towable unmanned remote weapon station.
He said two drone units had also been developed for integration into the Academy’s security architecture.
Ajibua added that the Academy had completed and inaugurated its biodiversity and conservation centre to promote research in ecology and environmental sustainability.
He said the NDA had also renovated and re-equipped its Entrepreneurship Development Centre and organised entrepreneurship and vocational skills training programmes for schoolchildren and officers’ wives during the summer holiday.
The provost 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.
He urged the media to continue supporting the Academy by reporting its activities and achievements.
“The continued support of the press is highly appreciated,” Ajibua said.
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