The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has inaugurated the 15-member Governing Council of the National Defence University (NDU) in Accra, Ghana. The university aims to consolidate the tertiary education programmes of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and strengthen strategic leadership, defence education, research, and national security policy development. The NDU will provide a dedicated centre of excellence for high-level strategic studies, operational readiness, and African-led peace and security policy formulation.
The government has provided $25 million in seed funding to support the university's take-off. The university will initially operate through six accredited colleges and institutions, including the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFSC), the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), and the Ghana Military Academy (GMA). The NDU has received a Presidential Charter, authorising it to award diplomas and degrees independently.
The Education Minister, Haruna Iddrisu, charged the Council to oversee the transition of the constituent institutions into a unified university while preserving the culture of merit and meritocracy associated with the GAF. He said the measure of the Council's success would not be the number of meetings, reports, or documents it approves, but the standards it establishes, the progress it enables, and the institution it leaves behind.
The Chairman of the Governing Council, Professor John Owusu Gyapong, expressed appreciation for the appointment and pledged to work with members to build an institution founded on equity and public trust. He said the purpose of the university is to strengthen existing institutions and create opportunities that no single institution could realise on its own.
The Minister of Defence, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, said the establishment of the university is a critical investment in Ghana's future, given the changing nature of warfare and emerging security threats. He emphasised that technological advances and the convergence of military, political, economic, and cyber threats require security leaders with both professional competence and intellectual depth.
The National Defence University- Ghana Act, 2026 (Act 1176), was passed by Parliament on August 17, 2026, and assented to by President John Dramani Mahama on August 26, 2026. The university's motto is "Knowledge, Service and Integrity," and it is temporarily operating from the Command Officers' Mess at Burma Camp in Accra, while its main campus at Whistler Barracks, Teshie, is under construction.
The inauguration was attended by senior military officers, government representatives, and academic stakeholders. The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) will provide a special allocation under its 2027 funding formula to sponsor at least 10 faculty members to attain PhD qualifications or professorial ranks. The university aims to produce graduates equipped with critical thinking skills, ethical judgement, and strategic foresight to manage complex security, defence, and governance challenges.
Key points
- The National Defence University will consolidate the tertiary education programmes of the Ghana Armed Forces and strengthen strategic leadership, defence education, research, and national security policy development.
- The government has provided $25 million in seed funding to support the university's take-off.
- The university will initially operate through six accredited colleges and institutions.
