By ZAKAA LAZARUS
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has commended the participants of National Defence College (NDC) Course 33 for proffering innovative solutions to national security challenges.
He gave the commendation on Friday, 25 July 2025, at the Army Headquarters Conference Room during the presentation of the COAS Research Paper by the participants, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the prestigious Fellow Defence College (fdc).
The research paper, titled _“Directed Energy Weapons and National Security: Strategic Options for the NA by 2040,”_ explores the potential of directed energy weapons in enhancing national security.
The COAS applauded the participants for their futuristic thinking and innovative approach to addressing emerging security challenges. He urged them not to relent, but to continue developing practical solutions, noting that the College remains a citadel of military strategy and capacity development.
The Army Chief also charged the Department of Army Transformation and Innovation to leverage its capabilities further and ensure a robust partnership with relevant stakeholders in capacity development.
Speaking during the presentation, the Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral James Okosun, noted that the College’s training modules provide an avenue for participants to interrogate major contemporary national security and development challenges, particularly those impacting the operational efficiency and effectiveness of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
The Commandant disclosed that the COAS had earlier tasked the Course 33 participants to research topics and propose workable strategies that could significantly impact the Nigerian Army (NA) in the near future, hence the presentation by the course members.
He expressed profound appreciation to the COAS for his immense support to the NDC, particularly for approving the research topic, and pledged continued collaboration with the NA.
Earlier in the presentation, the course representative, Colonel Obinna Eke, emphasized that leveraging advanced technology has become crucial in countering emerging threats. He noted that global trends set a clear precedent for the increasing adoption of such technologies for force protection.
He added that with ongoing efforts to modernize the NA and align with global trends in national defence, the military is well-positioned to develop a roadmap for the deployment of such capabilities, consistent with both global and regional defence modernization trends.
The participants of NDC Course 33 comprise 99 individuals drawn from the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, as well as allied participants from African and non-African countries.
