Academic Directors – National Defence College, Nigeria

Commodore Olusola Kolawole Oluwagbire hails from Iseyin, Oyo State. He graduated from the Nigerian Defence Academy as member of the 40^th Regular Course in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences. He holds master’s degrees in International Affairs and Diplomacy from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; in Maritime Security from the Coventry University, United Kingdom as well as in National Security and War Studies from the National Defence University, Pakistan.

Oluwagbire has held a series of appointments of increasing responsibilities both afloat and ashore. At sea, he served as Watch Keeping Officer onboard Landing Ship Tank NNS AMBE and Fast Patrol Craft NNS EKPE. He was also Ship Communications Officer on NNS EKPE as well as Assistant Ship Communications Officer onboard NNS ARADU, the nation’s flagship.  Ashore, he has been a general duties officer at operations bases NNS ANANSA and NNS PATHFINDER, in addition to being the Base Intelligence Officer at NNS DELTA.

The senior officer has also served as a member of Directing Staff (DS) at the prestigious Armed Forces Command and Staff College; as Assistant Director Manning at the Naval Secretary Branch; Assistant Director Attaché Management at the Defence Intelligence Agency and the Command Communications and Information Technology Officer at the Eastern Naval Command Headquarters, Calabar. Oluwagbire’s was equally Nigeria’s Defence Attaché to Angola with concurrent accreditation to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Namibia, Zambia and the Gulf of Guinea Commission from 2016-2019.

Oluwagbire’s awards and decorations include the passed staff college (+), Forces Service Star and Meritorious Service Star as well as other personal, unit and campaign awards. He was additionally on teams that received the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Ship of the Year Award in 1996 and CNS Commendation in 2011. He was appointed as DS at the National Defence College, Nigeria in September 2019 and subsequently appointed Director, Curriculum and Programme Development in October 2020.

Commodore OK Oluwagbire is married to Mrs Olanrewaju Oluwagbire and the union is blessed with children. He enjoys reading and writing.

Air Commodore Dauda Garba Prayero was born on 22 Feb 1965 in Shani LGA of Borno state. He attended Kombo Central Primary School and later Government Science Secondary School Waka-Biu all in Borno State and graduated in 1984. He was admitted into the Nigerian Defence Academy in September 1985 as a member   of 37 RC. He passed out in September 1990 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics and commissioned pilot officer. Air Commodore DG Prayero commenced his flying career at 301 Flying Training School in 1990 and has undergone many flying, command and leadership courses. Some of the courses he attended are:

–  Ab-initio and Basic Transport Flying Courses at 301 FTS NAF Kaduna.

–  Senior Course AFCSC Jaji (2004- 2005).

–  National Defence College Course 21 Abuja (2012 – 2013).

–  Gulfstream IV Presidential Jet Initial Course at UK – 2006.

–  Citation II Jet Course in USA – 2009.

–  Falcon 900 Presidential Jet Initial Course in USA – 2014.

 

He received the following awards during these courses:

– Best all-round in Basic Transport Course at 301 FTS.

– Best in Oral Work, Department of Air warfare during Senior Course at AFCSC Jaji.

– Chief of the Air Staff award for Best Research Paper on Air Operations at NDC Course 21.

 

He has over 3000 flying hours to his credit and held the following appointments:

– Directing Staff at the AFCSC Jaji 2007 -2009.

– Deputy Director Peace Keeping Operations, HQ NAF 2009-2010.

– Deputy Director Training (AIR), HQ NAF 2010 -2011.

– Fleet Operations Officer 101 Presidential Air Fleet Aug 2015- Feb 2016.

– Comd 81 Air Maritime Group NAF Benin City from Feb –Jun 2016.

– Comd 301 and later 401 Flying Training School NAF Kaduna from Jun 2016-Nov 2017.

His Decorations and awards are; Dss ,Psc(+),fdc(+),Msc. He is married and blessed with 3 children. He loves playing Golf, fishing, farming and horse riding.

 

Ambassador Audu-Rafiu Olusola ENIKANOLAIYE was bom on 14th September 1959 in Igbagun, Yagba East Local Government, Kogi State, Nigeria. He obtained a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) degree in Political Science from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria with First Class Honours in June 1981. Ambassador Enikanolaiye completed his National Youth Service in Lagos State in July 1982 before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an External Affairs Officer, Grade 08 on 4th August 1982.

He attended the Ministry’s one-year Foreign Service Academy in Lagos in 1984 and came top of his class. Thereafter, he obtained a Masters’ degree in International Law and Diplomacy (MILD) from the University of Lagos with Distinction in November 1992. Prior to this, he attended the University of Oxford, England for a postgraduate course in Diplomatic Studies from October 1990 -June 1991 and passed with Distinction.

In his diplomatic career, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye served in various capacities at home and abroad, including as a Special Assistant to the Special Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo on International Relations at the State House from November 1999 to April 200 I. While at Headquarters, he served as an active member of various top management and policy making Committees and bodies, especially in his capacity as Assistant Director, Deputy Director and Director in the Office of the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs where he served four Honourable Ministers.

Abroad, Ambassador Enikanolaiye served in many of Nigeria’s diplomatic missions abroad notably Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Belgrade, (Serbia), Ottawa, (Canada), London (UK) and lastly as Nigeria’s Head of Mission in New Delhi (India). He was also member of the Nigerian delegations to several Summits and International Conferences of the ECOWAS, the OAU/AU, Commonwealth and the United Nations, among others.

He has contributed significantly to the development and articulation of Nigeria’s foreign policy and diplomatic practice with emphasis on institutional development, security, development and peacekeeping matters, including the transformation of the Organisation of African Unity to the African Union, the evolution of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRNI) as well as on regional integration, among others.

He was appointed Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs effective 5^th August 2016 from where retired on 4^th August 2017 after 35 years of active, meritorious and unblemished service. In the course of his career, Ambassador Enikanolaiye visited over fifty (50) countries in different parts of the world.

He has published several articles in leading Nigerian newspapers and lectured extensively on Nigeria’s foreign policy at several fora within the Ministry, the Foreign Service Academy, the National Defence College, Abuja, Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State, the Nigerian Army War College, Abuja, and the Defence  Intelligence College, including the National Defence College of India, New Delhi, India.

He is a member of several professional bodies including the Nigeria Socicty of International Law, the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and the Institute of Directors (IoD).

He is the recipient of the twin 2017 Public Service Awards, namely, the Presidential Civil Service Merit Award and the Presidential Distinguished Public Service Career Award in recognition of his valuable contributions to the Service, making him the only Public Servant to have bagged both Awards in 2017.

He is currently on contract appointment as the Director, National Geopolitical Affairs at the National Defence College, Abuja, Nigeria.

He is married to Mrs Adunni ENlKANOLAlYE (Nee Olorunnishola) and blessed with three girls, a boy and three grandchildren.

Commodore Ayodeji Olumide Olugbode was born on 28^th February 1971 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. He attended Corona Primary School, Apapa, Lagos (1976-1982) and Nigerian Military School, Zaria (1982-1987). He gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy on 10^th September 1988 as a member of 40th RC and graduated with a BSc in Physics in 1992. He was commissioned into the Nigerian Navy in 20^th September 1993. On commission, he was appointed onboard NNS SIRI which was on deployment for ECOMOG Operations in Liberia and subsequently served onboard several ships and shore bases which include NNS AYAM as a Watch Keeping Office (WKO), NNS ARADU for Watch Keeping Duties (WKD), NNS OBULA as Executive Officer (XO), Duties with Commanding Officer (CO) NNS ONURA and NNS OKEMINI, Staff Officer (SO) III (Operations) – NHQ, Instructor and Chief Instructor at the Nigerian Navy Hydrographic School, Port-Harcourt, SO II and I at the NN Hydrographic Office (NNHO) and Assistant Director (Policy) – NHQ respectively. He was promoted to the present rank of Navy Captain on 10 September 2011.

Commodore Olugbode has also held some extra regimental and tri-service appointments which include Aide de Camp (ADC) to Military Administrator Bayelsa State, Head of Hydrographic Survey Services at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Technical Secretary East Atlantic Hydrographic Commission (2009-2010) and was Defence Adviser, Nigeria High Commission, New Delhi with concurrent accreditation to Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Singapore and South Korea. The military courses he has attended include Sub Technical Course (STC) at NNS QUORRA, Junior, Senior Staff Courses at AFCSC, Jaji and Joint Military Attaché Course at the Defence Intelligence College, Karu and higher defence management course at the National Defence College, Nigeria. In fulfillment of his NN specialization requirement, he obtained a BSc and Msc in Hydrography from the University of Plymouth, United Kingdom. Commodore Olugbode has also worked on the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Maritime Safety Committee and e-Navigation working groups. He is a member of the Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN) and the International Federation of Hydrographic Societies (IFHS).

He has been awarded some military service medals which are the ECOMOG (Liberia) Medal, FSS, MSS, Silver and Golden Jubilee medal respectively. Commodore Olugbode is happily married to Dr (Mrs) Mojisola Olugbode and they are blessed with two daughters. His hobbies are swimming, reading, photography and gardening.

Air Cdre Gabriel Adebayo Kehinde was born on 24 Mar 70 at Ikpe Annang in Essien Udim LGA of Akwa State to Late Capt and Mrs JK Adesina. He however hails from Erigo in Ijebu North East LGA of Ogun State. He attended Army Children Schools Lagos, Zaria and Ibadan between 1976 and 1982 and Eleyele High School, Ibadan from 1982-1987. He joined the NDA in 1989 as a member of 41 RC and was commissioned into the NAF as a pilot officer on 17 Sep 94.

Air Cdre AG Kehinde has attended several courses among which are; Ab- initio Flying Training at  301 FTS, Basic Armament Officers’ Course at  AFIT Kaduna, Type-rating cse on Alpha Jet Armament systems and the PL – 9C Missile Cse in China. He attended Junior and Senior Courses at AFCSC in 2002 and 2005. Between 2016 and 2017, the senior officer was a Participant at NDC Abuja from where he graduated as the best Air Force participant. He holds a BSc degree in Biological Sciences (NDA), Masters International  Law and Diplomacy from the University of Jos (2001) and MA in Conflict, Security and Development from the Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford UK (2012). The snr offr has the FSS and MSS awards and is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management and associate member of the Nigerian Society of International Affairs among other professional bodies.

Adebayo’s  first posting was to 3 Armament Maintenance Centre (AMC) Kainji where he served as Admin Offr and later OC Flt Line Services from 1994 to 1997. He served as an Instructor at Air Force Military School, Jos between 1997 and 1999. After the completion of his Snr Course in 2006, he was posted again to 3

Armament Maintenance  Centre, Kainji where he served as CO. He was also the Command Armament Officer at HQ Logistics Command Lagos in 2008 and later CO 1 Armament Maintenance Centre, Makurdi in 2009. Between 2011 and 2014, he was a Directing Staff at the Senior  Course in AFCSC and later headed the Works Production Centre of AFCSC. From AFCSC, he was posted to the AWC, where he served as a Directing Staff from 2014 to 2015 after which he returned to the AFCSC as a CI both at the Department of Air Warfare and Department of Joint Studies. In 2017, he was posted to DICON as the Director of Production and in July 2018 to 633 Central Armament Deport Makurdi as Commander. In February

2019 he was  posted to the National Defence College as a Directing Staff and subsequently appointed as the Director Information  Communication and Technology in January 2020.

Air Cdre AG Kehinde enjoys playing Lawn Tennis, Badminton and Table Tennis. He was married to Mrs Abigail Ibidun Kehinde and blessed with 2 sons.

 

Brigadier General Harbo Yahya ABDULHAMID was born on 12 January 1969 at Harbo in Jahun Local Government Area of Jigawa State.  He started his formal education at Harbo Central Primary School from where he proceeded to Government Day Secondary School Hadejia for Junior and Government Secondary School Aujara for Senior Secondary School education where obtained General Certificate of Education (GCE).  He obtained his First Degree in History and Religious Studies from Bayero University Kano.  He further attended University of Ilorin for Master’s Degree, where he majored in Political History.  Abdulhamid attended the Nigerian Defence Academy for his Ph.D in Military History where he got admitted to the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Abdulhamid has other academic qualifications that include Specialist Certificate Course in Law Enforcement and Preventive Diplomacy from University of Lagos and Post Graduate Diploma in Education from NTI, Sokoto study Center  among others.

HY Abdulhamid was commissioned into the Nigerian Army on 25 Sep 1993 as a member of NNG/DRC Course and was deployed to the Education Corps, He attended several courses, seminars and workshops that include:  YOC Education and Infantry, NAEC officer development Course both basic and Advanced, Basic SAT and Curriculum Courses both Basic and Advanced, Junior Staff Course (A) Military Observer Course and Executive Management Course among others.  The Posting history of Abdulhamid include instructor at NASE, SO2 at HQ NAEC, Lecturer at NDA, Commandant at CDSS Ikeja, CSS Kaduna and CSS Ohafia, Director of Education at 3 Division.  Currently, he is the Director of History, Research and Archives at National Defence College.

Brig Gen HY Abdulhamid, is married and blessed with both Male and Female children. His hobbies include Reading, teaching and adventured travels.