Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo (middle) at the National Defence College of Nigeria in Abuja on Monday, August 18, 2025
Former Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on African nations to put strong institutions at the heart of their governance systems if the continent is to achieve stability and development.
Addressing graduates of Course 33 of Nigeria’s National Defence College (NDC) in Abuja on Monday, August 18, 2025, the former President urged leaders to embrace transparency, fiscal discipline, citizen participation, and robust legal systems as tools to fight state fragility.
Speaking on the theme: “Strengthening Institutions for Good Governance in Africa”, President Akufo-Addo highlighted “Africa’s multi-faceted, multi-layered and multi-dimensional path to stronger institutions.”
He spoke about “the critical need for tighter oversight, digital transparency, inclusive nation-building, fiscal reform, active citizen participation, and stronger legal systems to foster inclusiveness and end state fragility.”
The audience Mr. Akufo-Addo addressed at the graduation included Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Gwabin Musa, and NDC Commandant Rear Admiral James Ohimai Okuson.
Participants from Africa, South America and Asia took part in this year’s programme, which is designed to prepare senior leaders for the complex challenges of global security and governance.
Akufo-Addo also reflected on Ghana’s own efforts in defence education. He reminded the audience that under his leadership, Ghana established the College of Defence Studies in 2023, which by 2024 had been granted a Presidential Charter to become a fully autonomous National Defence University.
For Nigeria, the ceremony reaffirmed the NDC’s role as the country’s highest military training institution, one that continues to shape the strategic thinking of future defence and security leaders across the world.
According to former President Akufo-Addo, “The National Defence College of Nigeria, works to develop future strategic leaders equipped with the knowledge and analytical skills in a dynamic defence and security environment. It is in pursuit of this, that, after so many decades of relying on countries like the United States, United Kingdom and India, I commissioned Ghana’s College of Defence Studies to train senior level personnel for key roles in national security and defence in 2023. Indeed, it was my joy and pride when in 2024, I granted the College a Presidential Charter, making it an autonomous National Defence University.”
