National Defence College Nigeria and Germany Deepen Defence Cooperation Through Leadership Training and Strategic Partnerships
The National Defence College (NDC), Nigeria and the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral defence cooperation through enhanced professional military education, strategic research, leadership development and institutional exchanges. The renewed commitment was underscored during a working visit by the Head of Delegation German Military Cooperation Col Christian Schmidt to the College in Abuja.
The Head of Delegation accompanied by the DA Germany Col (GS) Dr Bovekamp and a member of his delegation, Lt Col Karsten Weber, was received by the Commandant NDC, Rear Admiral A Ahmed, alongside senior military and civilian officials of the College. During the meeting, both sides explored opportunities to expand cooperation in strategic research, faculty exchanges, professional military education and leadership development. Discussions also focused on strengthening the Annual Nigeria-Germany Military Cooperation Programme as the principal framework for sustaining defence collaboration and institutional partnerships.
Colonel Schmid noted that Germany offers a wide range of strategic-level professional military education programmes but explained that participation in many of these courses requires proficiency in the German language. To facilitate greater Nigerian participation, he disclosed the readiness of the German Embassy to support specialised German language training for Nigerian officers through the Goethe-Institut. He requested the College to submit its specific training requirements to facilitate implementation of the initiative.
A major outcome of the visit was the confirmation that the NDC has been designated by Defence Headquarters to host a high-level Seminar on Civic Leadership and Civic Education in 2027. The seminar will feature two senior German military officers who will deliver presentations on leadership development, civic education, and the constitutional and ethical responsibilities of the military in a democratic society.
Responding, the Commandant, Rear Admiral A. Ahmed, commended Germany’s sustained support towards Nigeria’s defence capacity development and expressed the College’s commitment to expanding collaboration in faculty exchanges, strategic research, and leadership training. He further stated that “Strengthening cooperation between our two countries will contribute significantly to professional military development and enhance our collective capacity to address emerging security challenges,”.
The visit further reinforced the longstanding defence relationship between Nigeria and Germany and highlighted the shared commitment of both countries to promoting excellence in strategic leadership, professional military education and international defence cooperation.
