By Harriet Tornguvan
The Ministry of Defence on Thursday hosted a delegation from the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College at the Ministry’s headquarters, Ship House, Abuja, as part of the institution’s Senior Course 47 regional study tour aimed at strengthening defence cooperation and professional exchange within Africa.
Representing the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Richard Pheelangwa, the Director of Joint Services Department, Mrs Bosede Olaniyi, said the visit was designed to deepen understanding of defence administration and industrial development across the continent.
Olaniyi noted that Nigeria and Ghana occupy strategic positions in West Africa and have continued to build strong economic and security collaboration over the years.
She said Nigeria remained committed to ensuring peace and stability within the country and across Africa, stressing that the success of the defence sector was vital to the growth and development of the continent.
According to her, the Ministry is committed to strengthening partnerships with African nations and promoting collaborative efforts geared towards enhancing peace, security and sustainable development.
She also reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to scale up defence cooperation with Ghana and other African countries.
During a presentation to the delegation, Assistant Director, Special Projects, Joint Services Department, Mrs Fatima Mowarin, highlighted reforms being implemented by the Federal Government in the defence sector.
The reforms, she said, include the re-enactment of the DICON Act, expansion of public-private partnerships, technology transfer initiatives, and collaboration with indigenous and foreign defence industries aimed at boosting local production capacity.
Mowarin further outlined challenges facing the sector, including inadequate funding, dependence on foreign technology and difficulties in sourcing raw materials locally.
She added that efforts were ongoing to revitalise local steel production and strengthen technology transfer agreements with foreign partners to support indigenous defence manufacturing.
Speaking on behalf of the visiting delegation, Colonel Fiifi Deegbe expressed appreciation to the Ministry for the warm reception and insightful engagements since their arrival in Nigeria.
He said visits to military formations in Kaduna and various service headquarters had provided valuable learning opportunities and deeper insight into Nigeria’s defence operations and industrial development efforts.
Deegbe commended the Ministry for its transparency, comprehensive briefings and commitment to advancing indigenous defence production and regional security cooperation.
“With the ongoing developments in Nigeria’s Ministry of Defence, Africa is heading towards military advancement,” he said.
Also speaking, the representative of Senior Course 47, Major Kuntu Blankson, pledged continued collaboration between the college and the Ministry in the area of knowledge sharing and professional development.
He also appreciated the management of the college for providing the opportunity to undertake the study visit to Nigeria.
