Army varsity to become centre of excellence

From Molly Kilete, Abuja

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to transforming the Nigerian Army University, Biu (NAUB), into a premier institution for specialised military and civilian capacity building.

Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd), gave the assurance when he received a delegation from the university’s Governing Council at the Ministry of Defence headquarters in Abuja.

The minister assured the management of the government’s sustained strategic support, stressing that NAUB remains critical to equipping personnel with the technical and operational expertise required to tackle emerging and complex security challenges.

To bridge specialised skill gaps across the nation’s security architecture, General Musa disclosed that the Ministry of Defence would collaborate directly with the Armed Forces of Nigeria to fully utilise the 30 per cent admission quota reserved for military personnel.

“As the Federal Government pushes for a highly skilled workforce in this digital era, we must encourage members of the Armed Forces, ministry staff and the general public to leverage the cutting-edge technological and academic solutions available at NAUB,” he said.

According to a statement by the minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katanga Babatunde, the high point of the meeting was a joint commitment by the minister and the Governing Council to urgently address the university’s infrastructural needs. Among the proposed projects is the construction of a state-of-the-art Centre for Military Performance Management, described as the first of its kind in Africa.

Earlier, the leader of the delegation and Pioneer Pro-Chancellor of NAUB, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai (rtd), commended General Musa for what he described as his tenacious leadership and strategic foresight, noting that his contributions continue to strengthen Nigeria’s defence architecture.

Buratai also expressed appreciation for the minister’s dedication to the Armed Forces and the nation, while assuring him of the university community’s unwavering commitment to academic excellence, research and national service.