The NDC provides the highest level of formal military education intended to inculcate a sense of advanced military professionalism and involvement in the decision making process under democratic, political and cultural structures. In the pursuit of its professional training programme, the College has developed sound and consistent military expertise in the study of policy options as to where, when and how force could be applied for security and peaceful purposes.
To achieve this educational objective, participants are encouraged to be imaginative, creative and to cultivate the confidence of expressing this. The College applies a fine exchange of ideas through a “Rotunda Rule” policy of non-attribution in the Auditorium, where participants, staff and Directing Staff (DS) will be able to express personal views frankly.
The College therefore works intensively at conceptualizing, researching and analysing issues in depth to produce well informed, critical judgements, and to cultivate the art of intelligent interrogation. The intention is that the NDC and its fellows should play a part in the evolution of military thoughts to meet the new circumstances of the Twenty First Century.
The mission and philosophy of the College are pursued through lectures, seminars, workshops, conferences and syndicate assignments. The participants also write term papers and an all-year-round research project on approved topics. There are also geo-strategic tours of the country, the African continent and other parts of the world. The activities of the College are conducted in English Language.
The selection standard for the participants is set so that apart from professional skills and qualifications, they would have had considerable practical experience to enable them to contribute meaningfully and authoritatively to discussions. For instance, rank for the Armed Forces participants is pegged at colonel and its equivalent in the other services; while in the civil service, Assistant Directors and above are usually considered.
In line with global trends, the NDC in conjunction with University of Ibadan and Nigerian Defence Academy avail its interested participants with the opportunity to obtain a master of science in Strategic Studies offered by both institutions named above is seen as the culminating point of the NDC programme.