Nigeria to host 3rd edition of African Defence, War Colleges forum
Nigeria has been chosen to host the 3rd Edition of the Forum of African Defence and War Colleges’ Commandants (FADWCC) 2026. The hosting right was announced by the Director of the Royal College of Higher Military Studies (CREMS), Kenitra Morocco, Colonel -Major Lahcen El-Hajjami, at the recently concluded 2nd Edition of the forum in Morocco. He said the announcement was sequel to a unanimous vote by member-countries in attendance. With this hosting right, Nigeria becomes the second host and first Anglophone country to play host to the Forum.
The FADWCC was conceptualized in 2024 to forge partnerships among the defence and war colleges aimed at proffering solutions to common problems facing African nations in addition to enhancing collaborations in higher professional military education. The leader of Nigeria’s delegation and Commandant of NDC Nigeria, Rear Admiral Olumuyiwa Morakinyo Olotu, accepted the hosting right on behalf of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and received the symbolic hosting flag from his Moroccan counterpart.
The 2025 FADWCC, with the theme, “Artificial Intelligence and Defence”, was attended by commandants of defence and war colleges from 14 African nations. The countries include Angola, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cote d’Ivoire and Ethiopia. Others are Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, and Zambia. The attendance this year is a remarkable increase from 8 in the maiden edition in 2024. It is expected that the Third Edition in Abuja in 2026 would witness attendance by more commandants of defence and war colleges across Africa.
The Nigerian delegation also had the commandants of the Army, Navy and Air Force War Colleges and their spouses as well as some academic staff members from the four colleges.
In his remarks, Rear Admiral Olotu expressed Nigeria’s readiness to host a befitting forum in Abuja come 2026. He thanked his colleagues for the confidence reposed in Nigeria to host the next edition of the forum with a promise to surpass the high standard set by Morocco.
The commandant also used the opportunity to commend the Director and staff of CREMS for a well-organised event, and the excellent hospitality accorded the delegates to the forum.
