Be that as it is, the NDA Postgraduate School is directed to RAISING THE CAPACITY FOR RESEARCH KNOWLEDGE, INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY TO NURTURE FIRST CLASS MENTALITY. The broad mission is to transform the School through the purview of the best global practices to be the best in Africa and one of the best in the world in research, innovation and development in the Armed forces and society. As such, the NDA PG School has a vision of being Relevant, Respected and Referred in the global academic realm.

In 2009, appreciating the uniqueness of the Postgraduate School in an only Military University in Nigeria, the Federal Government converted the School to an ‘Integrated Postgraduate School Campus’ which was and still one of its kind in the Nigerian University System. The motive behind this designation was to allow free, indepth, multidisciplinary studies and research into fields that can productively transport the nation’s armed forces in particular and the country in general into one of the largest economies of the world. All over the world military is a bastion of innovation, original discoveries and technical application of knowledge to the development and growth of the society. With this categorization, NDA PG School remains the only one of its type where there is no sharing of facilities between undergraduate and postgraduate students. At the same time, the Federal Government directed the TETFund to intervene in the provision of infrastructural facilities and modern research aids and teaching tools to the School. This has been successfully accomplished.

In order to test the focus and capability of the School, the monitoring Agency, NUC in 2010 involved the School in its System – wide Audit Exercise. All recognized Postgraduate Schools of Nigerian Universities were involved in the exercise which captured the data on programmes and teaching scholars of schools. In August 2012, the NUC gave a clean and healthy certification to 39 programmes variously at Masters’ and PhD levels. This was preceded with the visitation of about 32 experts and scholars specifically selected to carry out Verification Exercise of all postgraduate programmmes of the Academy. This was a singular achievement under the leadership of Maj General Chukwuemeka Osita Onwuamaegbu whose passion for academic excellence, standardization and lofty higher degrees’ researches is well known. Henceforth the NDA Postgraduate School is heralded in the entire world for its uniqueness, excellence and discipline.  While the executive and academic direction and guidance was provided by a seasoned Professor of Chemistry, Sunday Okeniyi, efficient administrative system was provided by the Academy Registry under a dedicated administrator, Brig General Henry Ayamasaowei.

Deanship and Administration

At its inception the Postgraduate School was pioneered by Professor Alhaji Mahmud Yakubu. The Scholar of History and International Relations laid the foundation of the School with most of its programmes in the Arts and Social Sciences and Scineces. It is interesting to point out that Professor Yakubu was at the top TETFund, a Tertiary Interventionist Agency when the School was converted to an ‘Integrated Postgraduate Campus’. A first class scholar trained in the Cambridge and Oxford Universities in the UK, Yakubu’s successful pioneering leadership at Postgraduate school tenure lasted 2004 and 2006. He was succeeded by Mathew Nnamidi Agu, who is a Professor of Nuclear Physics. Agu was at the saddle between 2006 and 2010; the period upheld the past and laid a strong foundation for future consolidation. He was succeeded by Professor Ojong Echum Tangban whose tenure spanned 2010 and 2011. Tangban’s area of specialization is Economic and Military History. Tangban invested in the professionalization of the School’s programmes and enforced NUC standard.


The current Dean of Postgraduate School is Adam Okene Ahmed. A Professor of Modern African History and International Studies, Professor Ahmed took over during the closing days of 2011. A Canadian Centre of Sciences and Education’s expert on social sciences research and a member of the prestigious New York based Centre for Promoting Ideas; Professor Ahmed’s tenure witnessed the expansion of the programmes to include professional and part time courses. There is also the automation of the Postgraduate School library and other learning facilities. The Academy’s Postgraduate Library currently boast of 1,627 book titles and a total of 6,447 book volumes covering all areas of specialization but particularly in Sciences and Engineering. The office of the Dean, among others is responsible to the Academy Provost for the day –to- day administration and coordination of all Postgraduate programmes, including the presentation of examination results to the Academic Committee and of graduands for the conferment of degrees at the convocation ceremony; maintaining PG academic records and standards; monitoring and evaluation of the progress of PG studies in the Academy and submission of an annual report. The Dean, Postgraduate School chairs the Postgraduate School Committee which performs several functions on behalf of the Academic Committee. The Deputy Dean is the Deputy Chairman and other members include the Deans of Faculties, Academy Librarian, Head of Academic Planning, Chairman Research Committee, Chairman Curriculum Committee, ‘D’ Coord, DMT Representative, and the Secretary, Postgraduate School serves as Secretary to the Committee.

Prof Ahmed at the administrative level, the Academy Registrar sends a senior Registry officer as Secretary, Postgraduate School. At various times, the following people had served in such capacity; Afiniki Uhia-Oga  and Idayatu Toyin Badmus between 2005 – 2007 and 2007 – 2008 respectively; both were Senior Assistant Registrars at the time they served, during the formative period of the School. Currently Haulatu Lami Suleiman a deputy registrar is currently the Secretary of the School. She’s been in that capacity since 2008. As the Postgraduate School got bigger and her activities became complex and administration diverse and demanding, the NDA Authourity approved the appointment of a Deputy Dean in October 2012 to assist in the day -to -day running of the School. Dr Philip Anthony Vantsawa who is the pioneer Deputy Dean is a Scholar of Animal Physiology a broad but specialized area of Biological Sciences.

The Dean, Prof AO Ahmed (centre in suit) is flanked to his left by the Deputy Dean, Dr PA Vantsawa and Secretary, Mrs LH Suleiman to his right,  and other staff members

For ease of administration, the Postgraduate School is divided into units; Administration and Records;

Academics; Admission; Accommodation and Logistics; Finance; and Examinations and Allied Matters. Each of these units is headed by a Unit Head. All Unit Heads are registry staff.

Achievements                                                                                                                                                              Since its inception in 2005, the Nigerian Defence Academy Postgraduate School has recorded several achievements. The School has been of tremendous benefits to its catchment area and sphere of influence and coverage, the Armed Forces through the provision of higher degrees and higher education in fields that are not readily available in the conventional Universities. These field include but not limited to; Material Sciences and Explosive Chemistry, Forensic Chemistry, Medicinal and Poisonous Plant Studies, Biotechnology, Nuclear and Radiation Physics, Military Geography, Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System, Military History, Strategy and Security Administration and Defence Studies.

This provision has contributed tremendously in building the human capital of the personnel and in enhancing the performance of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is gratifying to mention that NDA Postgraduate School has produced for the Armed Forces holders of higher degrees in sensitive security and highly specialized disciplines like Nuclear Physics, Material Sciences and Explosives, Military History and Strategic and Defence Studies. These personnel can compare with their peers in any part of the world just as they currently contribute in the critical sectors of the Nigerian economy. Moreso, the Academy’s Postgraduate School has contributed to the growth of Military Institutions in particular and the civil society in general through MoU, linkages and collaborations. Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Air Force Institute of Technology, Kaduna and the Niger State government respectively are continuously benefitting from these linkages and collaborations.

The Academy’s Postgraduate School has also provided and still providing academic and intellectual training at higher degrees’ levels to Security Organizations, other para military outfits and the Society at large. Due to its stability, high level standard, graduations at the appropriate time and high quality of its academic staff and above all, secured and discipline environment which are themselves heights for the School, sectors like State Security Services, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigeria Police Force, Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency and Economic and Financial Crime Commission to mention few, have continuously patronized the School.The Dean, Deputy Dean, Secretary PGS, Heads of Finance, Accommodation and Logistics.

NDA Postgraduate School is obviously the most stable and consistent Postgraduate Schools in Nigeria. This is largely due to the visionary ideas and philosophy of the Academy’s authority, commitment of the academic staff and absence of rascal unionism. In the same vein, participation in convocation ceremony at the completion of research and successful oral presentation also enhanced the quality of the School. It is least surprising therefore that, yearly more applications is received for admission, collaborations and partnership in scholarship and training from individuals and recognized higher Institutions.

 As part of its achievements, is the standardization of the curricula of Postgraduate programmes. In this case, international parameters and yardsticks are used in the designing, executing programmes, and for service delivery of both the academic and professional courses. The design took into consideration the various dimensions of scholarship and the usage of Students Centred Learning system which is now globally recognized as a medium of lecture delivery.
Reading section of the PG School automated Library

The Postgraduate School has harped and capitalised on the structures inherited from the erstwhile Academy to provide facilities to both students and scholars that meets international standard. Recent upgrading of the physical structures has fitted all the classes with air conditioners, smart boards, interactive smart magic boards and water dispencer. In the same vein, the School now boast of twenty four hours supply of water and reasonable supply of electricity. Further more, the Postgraduate School hostel is improvingly becoming an edifice that can be called international in all ramifications particularly through internationalization of programmes, online application and registration of courses and open web assess.

There is no doubt that challenges are daunting. There is the need for the Integrated Postgraduate Campus to be SMART in terms of facilities and lecture delivery. The Postgraduate School should be ICT driven in all ramifications. There is the need for cutomised lecture halls with the latest modern equipments; cutomised smart reading rooms; customised examination halls and underground automated armored cable capable of supplying unmitigatd electricity without smoke and noise. Achieveing these is part of the Three Year Development and Strategic Plans of the NDA Postgraduate School.