Academic Directors – National Defence College, Nigeria

Cdre Vincent Burabari Gbaranwi was born on 3 July 1972 at Bori, Rivers State, Nigeria. He joined the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Kaduna in August 1991 as a member of the 43 Regular Course and was Commissioned into the Nigerian Navy (NN) in 1996 as a sub-lieutenant.

He has attended all courses and relevant training for elevation to the rank of a Commodore in the NN. Some of these include the Junior and Senior Staff courses, at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Nigeria, the Sub-Technical and Officers Long Courses at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) QUORRA, Lagos – Nigeria. Other key courses attended are the United Nations Military Observer (UNMO) Course, Nairobi, Kenya, the Officers Intelligence Information and Analysis Course, Islamabad, Pakistan, the International Anti-Terrorism/Anti-Piracy Officers Course, Pensacola, United States and Non-International Armed Conflict Course, at the International Institute of Humanitarian Law, San Remo, Italy. He also attended the National Defence College (NDC), Nigeria.

The senior officer has served in several capacities on board some NN Ships such as ENYIMRI, AYAM, AMBE, SIRI, ZARIA, OBULA and Commanding Officer NNS KYANWA. Similarly, he served at the defunct Sea Training Command, (now the Naval Doctrine Command), Naval Ordnance Depot, NNS PATHFINDER and BEECROFT as well as the Headquarters, Naval Training Command, Lagos. He was a Directing Staff at the AFCSC and Deputy Defence Attache, Embassy of Nigeria, Paris – France and Assistant Director, Policy and Plans at the Naval Headquarters, Abuja.

Cdre VB Gbaranwi’s key academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biological Sciences from the NDA, Master International Affairs and Diplomacy, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and Masters Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan, all in Nigeria.

The senior officer’s decorations include the United Nations Mission in Sudan and Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group medals, among others. He is a member of some professional bodies, and earned the psc⁺ award, as well as a Distinguished Fellow of the National Defence College (fdc⁺), Nigeria. He is currently a Director Curriculum and Programmes Development at the National Defence College, Nigeria.

He is married and blessed with 3 children. His interests include geostrategic affairs and sports.

Commodore Gbaranwi’s profile shall be posted soonest.

Air Cdre Saeed Abdullahi Madaki was born in Niger State, he had his primary Education at Model Primary School Suleja. He attended the Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Navy Town Lagos. He was admitted to the NDA in August 1992, as a member of 44RC. He graduated from the NDA with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Defence Studies, he also backed a Master Degree in International Affairs and Defence Studies from the same institution.

Air Cdre Madaki was commissioned into the NAF as a Pilot Officer in September 1997. He has attended several courses since commissioning into the NAF. He attended the Basic Intelligence Officer’s Course at the Nigerian Air Force School of Air Intelligence in 2001, Junior Command and Staff College at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College – Jaji in 2002 and the international Intelligence Officer’s course at the Defence Intelligence College, Pretoria – South Africa in 2004. Other courses include Security Investigation and Interrogation Course at the Nigerian Army Intelligence School Apapa in 2005, the German Armed Forces Command and Staff College Hamburg 2007 – 2009, Psychological Ops Course at DIC – Karu. He was also at the Defence Services Intelligence Academy Pakistan in 2010 for his Advance Intelligence Officer’s Course. The Senior Officer was also at the Joint Special Operations University at the McDill Air Force Base Florida for Special operations course in Combating Terrorism in 2013, he is a fellow of the National Defence College Nigeria.

In the Course of his career, the senior officer has held the following appointments; Admin Officer at HQ DAI NAF, Group Intelligence Officer at 81 Air Maritime Group, 88 Military Airlift Group and the 435 Base Services Group, Ikeja. Air Cdre Madaki was the Chief Instructor Strategies Studies at the Defence Intelligence College from July 2009 – Jun 2011, he was also Chief Instructor at the Ground Training Group Kaduna from Jun 2011 – Jun 2012 and Directing Staff at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College from Feb 2014 – Mar 2016 and was also the Dy Director Training HQ DIA. Other appointments held are; Comdt Nigerian Air Force School of Air Intelligence, Makurdi, Comd 119 Composite Group Sokoto and Dy Director, Directorate of Air Intelligence, HQ NAF. The senior officer speaks French and German Languages in addition to 3 Nigerian Languages. Before his current posting, he was the Dy Director Attaché Management, DFL (DIA).

Air Cdre Madaki is married and the union is blessed with children.

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 Aniefiok Cletus Uko was admitted into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) as a member of 43 RC on 16 August 1991. He bagged a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry in 1995 and was subsequently commissioned Sub Lieutenant on 21 September 1996 as a seaman officer into the Nigerian Navy. The senior officer has attended several military and civil courses. Among the courses attended include the Sub Lieutenant Technical Course and Officers’ Long Course at NNS QUORRA, Apapa where he specialized in Navigation and Direction. Other military courses are the Junior and Senior Staff Courses at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji. The senior officer also attended the International Maritime Officers’ Course at the United States Coastguard Training Center, Yorktown, Virginia, United States of America. Cdre Uko is a holder of a master’s degree in International Affairs and Defence Studies and Master of Philosophy in Security and Strategic Studies.

The senior officer has served in various capacities and held numerous appointments both afloat and ashore in the Nigerian Navy as well as tri-Service institutions.  He was a Naval Assistant to the Commandant, National Defence College, Abuja, Navigating Officer, Instructor Nigerian Navy Basic Training School, Onne as well as instructor at the Navigation and Direction School, NNS QUORRA, Apapa. Others include Navigating Officer NNS NWAMBA, Executive Officer of FOB IGBOKODA and NNS BURUTU, Assistant Director Transformation at the Naval Headquarters and Commanding Officer FOB ESCRAVOS and NNS UNITY. He was also a Directing Staff and Chief Instructor at the AFCSC, Jaji as well as a Directing Staff at the Naval War College Nigeria.

Cdre Uko enjoys reading, travelling, swimming and watching football.  He is happily married and the union is blessed with 4 beautiful girls.

The Director Information and Communication Technology, Air Commodore Olusola Frederick Akinboyewa was born on Thursday 14 November 1974 at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base Kaduna, to Wing Commander Frederick Akinboyewa (retired) and Mrs Eunice Akinboyewa (deceased). He is an indigene of Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State. He is a NAF Communications Specialist as well as an Air Traffic Controller with both Military and Civil Licenses.

Sola holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics from the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Kaduna, a Post Graduate Diploma in Telecommunications and Electronics Engineering (with Distinction) from the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife and a Master of Science Degree in Security and Strategic Studies from the NDA. He is a Distinguished Fellow of the National Defence College (NDC) from which he graduated with honours in 2019, receiving the Honourable Minister of Defence Prize for the Second Best in Order of Merit as well as the Commandant’s Prize for the Second Best Research Project.

Akinboyewa is a Member of the Nigerian Air Traffic Controllers Association, as well as the Nigerian Institute of Management and the Nigerian Institute for International Affairs. He is also a Member of the Nigerian Tennis Umpires Association.

Over the course of his career, Akinboyewa has held Staff, Instructional and Command appointments in various  NAF and Tri-Service units, formations and establishments. These include; Directing Staff as well as Chief Instructor at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Nigeria, as well as Commandant, Nigerian Air Force Air Traffic Services Training Centre, amongst others. At present, in addition to serving as the DICT, he is President of the Mess Committee (PMC), NDC Officers Mess.

Air Commodore Olusola Akinboyewa is married to Mrs Adeola Yejide Akinboyewa and they are blessed with 3 children (2 girls and a boy). He enjoys sports, particularly Tennis, as well as Chess, reading and listening to music. He has also recently taken up Golf.

Col Yusha’u Dogara Ahmed was born on 28 Dec 71 in Kaduna. He had his secondary school education at MFCT Secondary School, Rubochi Abuja. Dogara was admitted into NDA on 4 Jan 97 as a member of Direct Regular Course 9. He was commissioned on 5^th Jul 97 as a Lieutenant into the Nigerian Army Education Corps.

On commission, he was posted to Nigerian Military School Zaria, as an Instructor. He also served in other units and formations headquarters which include Staff Officer 3 Education in NMS, Record Officer, African Mission in Sudan (AMIS), Instructor Nigerian Army School of Education (NASE), Chief Education Officer, 3 Brigade, Military Assistance to DG NYSC, General Staff Officer G1 (Edn), HQ NAEC and Assistant Director Education AHQ DATOPs.

Col Ahmed had held several command and staff appointments commensurate to his rank and experience. This include Comdt, CDSS Ojo, CDSS Enugu and CSS Ipaja Lagos. Deputy Chief of Staff G3/G7 NAEC and Deputy Director Institute of Military History NARC. He had the following commendations, GOC 1 Div 2008, Comdt NAEC 2012, GOC 81 Div 2014 and GOC 81 Div 2019. His last appointment was Deputy Commandant NMS.

In the course of his career, Ahmed attended several military courses. These include Young Officers Course (Infantry), Young Officers Course (Education), Basic NAEC Officer Development Course, Basic System Approach to Training and Curriculum and Training Development Adviser Course and Advance NAEC Officers Course. He is a Fellow National Defence College Nigeria. His Civil Qualifications include Bachelor of Arts (Education), History, Masters of Education (Educational Psychology) and Masters of Arts in Peace and Strategic Studies.   Col Ahmed is happily married and blessed with children.