Ghana is preparing to launch its first National Defence University (NDU) in 2024, a move that will enhance the professional military education and research capabilities of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and other security agencies.
The NDU, which was announced by President Nana Akufo-Addo in November 2023, will be a multidisciplinary higher education institution that will offer masters- and doctoral-level programs in military science, defense and strategic studies, international relations, and related subjects.
The university will also serve as a modern research and educational center to conduct long-term research, capacity building and policy shaping in the field of defense and security as well as current analysis and strategic studies for various state institutions.
The NDU will be an overarching institution for Ghana’s other institutions of higher education within the GAF, with campuses at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC), the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, National College of Defence Studies (NCDS), Ghana Military Academy and the Ghana Armed Forces Training and Doctrine Command.
The university will educate personnel of the armed forces, other security agencies, governmental departments and agencies, and foreign military personnel. It will also welcome students from allied African countries who share Ghana’s vision of peace and stability in the region.
The NDU is part of the GAF’s efforts to boost its military capabilities and readiness to address Ghana and Africa’s complex security challenges. The GAF has also established the NCDS, a new war college that will train senior officers in modern warfare and strategic leadership.
A War College is a senior military academy whose purpose is to educate and train senior military tacticians, strategists, and leaders. It is also a place where advanced tactical and strategic thought, doctrines and policy are developed.
“It would also provide and improve the professional education of the highest levels of military leadership when established.”
The NCDS, which was inaugurated on November 30, 2023, at Burma Camp in Accra, will offer a 41-week course to 19 participants, including 17 GAF senior officers and two civil servants from the Defence and National Security ministries. The course will begin on January 9, 2024.
The NCDS will not only provide a place of learning but also a symbol of Ghana’s commitment to safeguarding its nation’s sovereignty and ensuring the safety and security of its people, according to NCDS Commandant Maj. Gen. Irvine Aryeetey.
The NDU and the NCDS are expected to create a Ghanaian solution to the previous challenges faced by the GAF in sending its personnel to other countries for strategic training, which was costly and limited the number of officers who could benefit from such training.
President Akufo-Addo said he directed that the NDU be established early next year during his address at a graduation parade at the Ghana Military Academy in Teshie, Accra. He expressed his confidence in the GAF and its leadership, and urged them to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and discipline.
The NDU and the NCDS are part of Ghana’s vision to become a hub of excellence in defense and security education and research in Africa, and to contribute to the promotion of peace and stability in the continent and beyond.
Furthermore, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is taking significant steps to protect its military and the nation from the growing threat of cybercrime and online criminal activities. The GAF plans to establish a Directorate of Cyber and Electronic Warfare Operations, recognizing the critical need to safeguard its data, networks, and communication infrastructure from cyberattacks.
Ghana, which ranks among the top countries in Africa for cybersecurity, is not immune to the challenges posed by cybercrime. Despite its cybersecurity achievements and signing the Africa Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection, Ghana has experienced a rise in online fraud, costing Ghanaians millions of dollars in direct financial losses.