Nigerian Military’s Archaic Curriculum

Notes for File

The Nigerian military recently shocked many when it disclosed that its prestigious Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), had just modified its curriculum to reflect training of cadets on how to tackle bandits, Boko Haram and other violent gangs terrorising the country.

The Director of Military Training of the academy, Brigadier General Emmanuel Emekah, said this in Jos at the “Exercise Camp Highland’’ conducted by the 69th Regular Cadets Course.

Emekah said the modification had brought about a paradigm shift focusing on asymmetric warfare as opposed to conventional warfare. He explained that cadets of Course 69 were the first to benefit from the modification of the curriculum, adding that the academy was using them to test-run the new development.

“Contemporary security challenges has necessitated that the curriculum for the cadet training be modified. What they are doing now are things some of us did as commissioned officers, but these cadets have the opportunity to do it now,’’ he reportedly said.

Is anybody still surprised why the Nigerian military is not winning the war against insurgency that has been ravagaing the country? They have been operating archaic syllabus in their military institutions, and as such have little or no knowledge on how to tackle it. This is a big embarrassment to the country whose military is rated as one of the best in Africa.

Many Nigerians have been hearing about terrorism since the 1980s. While the military in advanced countries have since developed their syllabus and strategies to cope with modern realities, many wonder why the Nigerian armed forces have not thought it wise to train its officers and men on war against terrorism. 

It is a huge embarrassment that since Boko Haram started in 2009, that is over 12 years ago, the military did not see it as a new threat to the country’s peace and effect necessary update on its curriculum. 

By now emphasis ought to have been made on convoy protection, anti-ambush drills, landmines, IED recognition and all tenets of counter terrorism and counter insurgency as well as special forces training to boost the capabilities of the military to mitigate the growing wave of insecurity across the nation.

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