The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has reaffirmed the government's commitment to provide the National College of Defence Studies (NCDS) with the needed support to enhance the strategic leadership of the Ghana Armed forces (GAF) and make it a centre of excellence.
Such a support, he explained, would enable the country to take ownership of its defence and security education and would also help to reduce the financial cost involved in training security personnel abroad. • President Akufo-Addo (third from right) and other dignitaries after the programme "The establishment of this college is not only an administrative move but a forward thinking decision rooted in our need for self-reliance in developing military and civilian leaders who understand both the global security landscape and our own national security priorities," President Akufo-Addo said.
President Akufo-Addo was speaking at the maiden graduation of 19 graduands of NCDS Course 1 in Accra on Saturday on the theme, "Our environment, our security, and our development." The NCDS was established in May 2023 to offer strategic courses for senior military officers of the rank of colonel or equivalent and relevant national agencies of the same status. "While our best and graduands personnel have long been educated abroad, bringing back invaluable knowledge and skills, the financial cost has been a challenge," he added.
The graduands comprised 17 senior military officers and two senior civil servants of the National Security and the Ministry of Defence.