Academic Directors – National Defence College, Nigeria

Commodore Olusegun Olukunle Soyemi was born on 1 July 1971 and hails from Agege Local Government Area of Lagos State. He enlisted into the Nigerian Navy
on 17 August 1990 and was granted Presidential Commission on 16 September 1995 as a member of 42 Regular Course Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA). He is of the Executive Branch (Navigation and Direction) and was promoted to the rank of Commodore on 17 August 2018.

The senior officer has attended several courses, which include the Sub-Lieutenant Technical Course and Officers Long Course Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) QUORRA Apapa, Junior and Senior Staff Courses Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) Jaji, Joint Military Attache Course Defence Intelligence College Abuja as well as the National Security and War Course at National Defence University (NDU) Pakistan. He also holds a BSc (Hons) Degree in Mathematics from NDA and MSc in National Security and War Studies from the NDU Pakistan. Commodore Soyemi has held several appointments both ashore and afloat. He was Watch Keeping Duties NNS EKPE Liberia (98-01), Duties With Commanding Officer NNS OKEMINI (01-02), Navigating Officer NNS LANA (03-04), Staff Officer (Grade II) Ratings Naval Headquarters (NHQ) (04-05) and Staff Officer (Grade II) Academics/Training NDA (05-06). Other appointments the senior officer held were Military Observer United Nations Mission in Sudan (06-07), Instructor NNS QUORRA (07-09), Navigating Officer NNS NWAMBA (09), Directing Staff AFCSC (09-11) and Executive Officer Forward Operating Base Formoso (12-13). He also served as Staff Officer (Grade I)/Assistant Director Personnel Release NHQ (13-14), Chief Instructor Charlie Division AFCSC (14-15) and Executive Officer NNS PATHFINDER (15-16). He was a member of the pioneer Directing Staff at the Naval War College Nigeria (17-19) and Deputy Director Policy NHQ (19 – 20). Cdre Soyemi was appointed as Directing Staff at the National Defence College on 31 Aug 20 and became the Director Curriculum and Programme Development at the College on 18 Mar 21. The senior officer is decorated with the prestigious passed staff course (dagger), forces service star, meritorious service star and distinguished service star in recognition of his unblemished service to the Nigerian Navy and the Country. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the Naval War College and also a Member of the National Institute of Management as well as Member of the United States Naval Institute.

Commodore OO Soyemi is happily married to Mrs Adeola Soyemi and the marriage is blessed with 3 children. In his leisure time, he enjoys reading, listening to music, driving and keeping up to date with technology.

Air Commodore Abdulrasheed Oluwaseyi Kotun was born in Lagos to the family of Chief MA Kotun on 17 Jul 72. He hails from Isale Eko in the Lagos Island Local Government of Lagos State. Kotun acquired his nursery, and primary education in Lagos between 1974 and 1982.   He then attended the Federal Government College Lagos between 1983 and 1989 where he obtained his Secondary School Leaving Certificate.

Oluwaseyi enlisted into the NDA as a member of 42 Regular Course and   graduated 5 years later with a first degree in Mathematics and was commissioned into the NAF as a pilot officer. In his Service career, Kotun has attended several courses including the Initial Personnel Management Course (IPAMOC) in Kaduna, and the advanced Human Resources Course at the Royal Institute for Public Administration in London. He also attended the Junior and Senior Command and Staff Courses at AFCSC Jaji.

The senior officer has served the NAF in several units and capacities; these include the 435 Base Services Group Ikeja, 330 NAF Station Jos and 303 FTS Kano as flight or squadron commander. Others are the Air Task Group (Op HARMONY) Calabar as the Group Administrative Officer, 325 Ground Training Group Kaduna as Commanding Officer, School of Administration and 235 Base Services Wing, Yenagoa as Commanding Officer.  Seyi also served at the AFCSC as a DS from 2010 to 2012 and at the Ministry of Defence as Military Assistant to Permanent Secretary from 2014 until his nomination to attend NDC Course 26 in July 2017. He earned the Chief of the Air Staff’s prize on completion of the course and was promoted Air Commodore in September 2018. He was thereafter posted to HQ NAF as the Deputy Director of Administration where he served until his posting to NDC as a DS in Jan 2020. He was appointed DNMS on 16 Mar 21.

Air Commodore Kotun holds a PostGraduate Diploma in Computer Science which he earned from ATBU Bauchi in 2001 and a Masters Degree in Security and Strategic Studies from the NDA amongst other academic accolades.  He is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development of the UK, the Nigerian Institute of Management as well as the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria. His honours and awards include; the Forces Services Star, the Meritorious Services Star, the Distinguishes Service Star and the passed staff college daggar. He is a recipient of the Silver Jubilee, Golden Jubilee, General Service, General Operations and Operation Harmony Medals amongst others. His hobbies include traveling, meeting people, listening to music, driving and reading. He is happily married to Mrs Monilola Rasheeda Kotun and they are blessed with 3 sons.

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.

Profile coming soon…

Air Commodore Michael Chinegwu Ekwueme hails from Ebe, in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State. He attended College of Immaculate Conception Enugu for his secondary education and gained admission into the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1990 as a member of the 42^nd Regular Course. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and was commissioned Pilot Officer in 1995.

The senior officer has attended several civil and military courses. These include Basic Officers’ Armament Maintenance Course at Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna and Mi-35 Helicopter Armament Course in Russia. He did the Junior Staff and Senior Staff Courses at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji. He also attended the United Nations Junior Officers’ Course in Sweden and Negotiation Course at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria, Badagry. Air Commodore Ekwueme participated in the Basic Instructional Techniques Course and International Humanitarian Law Instructors’ Course. He attended Air Force War College, Course 1, War College Directing Staff Orientation Course, Joint Operational Planning Course and Higher Management of Defence Course at the National Defence College, Nigeria.

He has master’s degrees in Telecommunications Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; Conflict, Security and Development from University of Bradford, United Kingdom and Strategic Studies from University of Ibadan. He is rounding up his doctorate degree programme in Defence and Strategic Studies.

His flying trainings were at 401 Flying Training School, Kaduna, International Aviation College, Ilorin and   Flight Safety International, Atlanta USA. He has flown the Air Beetle, Diamond-40, Diamond-42 and Beechcraft King Air 350 aircraft types. Air Commodore Ekwueme has flown in several Operations such as AWATSE, SHARAN DAJI, HADARIN JAJI and LAFIYA DOLE

He has held several appointments which include Directing Staff at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji and Commanding Officer, 1 Armament Maintenance Centre, Makurdi. He was also Commanding Officer, Academic Wing and Group Operations Officer, both at 401 Flying Training School, Kaduna. He was Director, Test and Quality Assurance, Air Force Research and Development Centre, Kaduna. He was a Directing Staff at National Defence College, Nigeria before his appointment as Director, Department of Information and Communications Technology.

He was the Best All-Round Student (Air Force), Junior Staff Course 51/2001, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji. He also won the Chief of the Air Staff Award for Best in Airpower at Air Force War College, Course 1. His decorations and awards include Forces Service Star, Meritorious Service Star, Distinguished Service Star, passed staff course dagger (psc+), air fellow of the war college, fellow of the defence college, MTech, MA, MSc. He is a Fellow of Chemical Society of Nigeria and member of the Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria, Nigerian Institute of Management and Society for Peace Studies and Practice.

Air Commodore Ekwueme is married to Mrs Ijeoma Ekwueme and the union is blessed with children. His hobbies include walking, browsing, reading and writing. He has written several articles for publication.

 

 

Brigadier General Uyaze Jacob MAKBERE was born on 16 Oct 1967 at Igbogene-Epie in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.  He had his primary and secondary education at St Barnabas Primary School Igbogene-Epie, and Government Secondary School Okolobiri respectively. After his secondary education in 1981, he proceeded to Government Teacher’s College Peremabiri and graduated in 1983. He gained admission into the University of Port Harcourt in 1987 and graduated in 1991 with BA.Ed History. He proceeded for the one year mandatory National Youth Service Corps in Kaduna State where he served with the Nigerian Military School, Zaria. Thereafter, he trained at the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of NG/DRC and was commissioned on 25 Sep 1993.

In the course of his career, Brig Gen UJ Makbere attended several courses including YOC Education (1994), Basic Systems Approach to Training (1996), YOC Infantry (1997), Advance Systems Approach to Training (2000), Basic NAEC Officers’ Development Course (2002) and NAEC officers’ Executive Management Course (2013) among others. Makbere has served in the following Units in different capacities: Instructor at NAISET ( defunct NASE) Ilorin, Instructor/QM at NMS Zaria, AO at CDSS Ibadan, SO2 2 Div Edn, PPO at IAE, Principal at NAOWA Vocational Training Centre Ojo, CI Corps Courses NAISET, Comdt CDSS Jos, AD Circulation DNALS, SO1 G1 HQ NAEC, Dy Dir DCSS, Comdt CSS Ohafia, CI Languages NAISET, DCOS G1 HQ NAEC, Ag Dir 6 Div Edn Services, DD TYB CTCOIN Museum, Dir NA Museum, Comdt NMS, COS HQ NAEC. He is currently the Director Department of History, Research and Archives at the National Defence College Nigeria.

Brig Gen UJ Makbere has the following qualifications/certificates: BA. Ed (History) at the University of Port Harcourt, PGD (Museology), at the Institute of Archeology and Museum Studies Jos. MA (Peace and Strategic Studies) at the University of Ilorin.

His honours and awards include: Forces Service Star (FSS), Meritorious Sevice Star (MSS) and Distinguished Service Star (DSS), Member Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (MTRCN). Brig Gen UJ Makbere is happily married with children. His hobbies includes; Reading,  Swimming and Listening to News.