The Commandant of the National Defence College (NDC), Rear Admiral Abdullahi Ahmed, has called for enhanced support from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to boost the College’s research capacity and overhaul its curriculum in line with Nigeria’s rapidly evolving security landscape, including the integration of artificial intelligence.

Ahmed, the 22nd Commandant of the College, made the appeal during a high-level visit to the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arc. Sonny Echono, at the Fund’s headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, where both institutions signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in key areas.

“The support will enable us to deepen our research capacity and ensure that our curriculum remains relevant to the evolving national security challenges,” he said.

He revealed that upon assuming office, he initiated a comprehensive review of the College’s curriculum, noting that with TETFund’s assistance, the NDC would achieve the global standards it aspires to. The review, he added, places strong emphasis on artificial intelligence, strategic thinking, and policymaking.

Ahmed highlighted the College’s role as Nigeria’s apex security training institution, stressing its involvement in strategic research and the publication of peer-reviewed journals of African and global relevance.

He appealed for TETFund’s support in sustaining the publication of these academic works. He also commended the Fund for its infrastructural interventions across the College and other tertiary institutions nationwide.

In his remarks, TETFund’s Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, said the MoU encapsulates a broad framework of collaboration between both institutions, emphasizing the need to support organisations like the NDC that contribute significantly to national development through research.

Echono praised the sacrifices of Nigeria’s armed forces, noting that “men and women in uniform are making very difficult sacrifices to keep the nation safe, with some paying the ultimate price.”

He recalled his longstanding association with the College dating back to his tenure as Director of Procurement in the Ministry of Defence between 2008 and 2009, when he helped initiate participants’ quarters and other major projects at the College’s permanent site. Since then, he said, he has remained actively involved in various TETFund programmes and interventions.

Echono explained that as the country’s highest military training institution, it was only natural for the NDC to lead in intelligence and research.

He noted that TETFund last year expanded its research intervention areas to include a new thematic focus on the military and intelligence sector, with dedicated resources already institutionalised.

He further observed that many global scientific breakthroughs originated from military research, citing the Global Positioning System (GPS) as an example and reaffirmed TETFund’s commitment to supporting the military not only in kinetic operations but also in advancing innovations that drive national development.