By Emma Okonji
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in collaboration with the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) has concluded plan to deploy modern technology in order to help Nigerian soldiers fight battles and wars.
The collaboration between NCC and NDA on technology tools for the military was agreed upon and sealed at the weekend, during a meeting by both bodies in Abuja.
They agreed to collaborate to empower the military with high profile technology, conscious of the realities that battles no longer depend on military weapons alone but on technology tools.
The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta who held talks with the Commandant of NDA, Major General Adeniyi Oyebade, told his guests from NDA including Academy Provost, Prof. Azubuike Nwankwo; Director of ICT, Air commodore A. S. Bulus; Dean of Military Science, Prof. F. N. Oguleka; Registrar, Brig. Gen. I. M. Jallo, among others, that his experience as a visiting Professor to the NDA had shown that, “The NDA University has the tradition of military precision and strict adherence to timelines on academic activities, but not exempted from checks and balances.”
Danbatta, a Professor of Telecommunications Engineering told his guests that, “intervening in boosting NDA technology infrastructure is to ensure the future of our country,” adding that NCC would also assist in boosting cybersecurity programmes of the academy.
He said although NCC had deployed and built two computer laboratories and optic fibre links for the two campuses in Kaduna through the Commission’s Advance Digital Awareness Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADAPTI), Danbatta assured the visitors of NCC’s readiness to collaborate with the management to make NDA a world class institution.
The NDA Commandant told the NCC management led by Prof. Danbatta that the NDA which was founded in 1964 solely for military training has since 2007 metamorphosed into a degree awarding institution with several faculties where cadets are awarded degrees alongside their military trainings.
Indeed, the NDA now offers Post graduate programmes in several disciplines.
Oyebade admitted that the present and future military battles would depend on science and technology hence the need to hold talks with the NCC.
Oyebade, who is an alumnus of the NDA said although, “the NCC has in the past given us very robust support in the development of our ICT infrastructure, which we highly appreciate, we still crave for more support, hence this visit in order to fill the gaps in our infrastructure needs.”
The NDA requested from NCC, the need for a server managed wired line infrastructure; building of two additional Computer Based Testing (CBT) centres fitted with up to and not limited to 350 computers; and NCC should also open its doors for collaboration in manpower training for academic and non-academic staff of NDA; to boost the existing end user electronics centre; and to support a robust back up power to support the infrastructure among others.
