Armed Forces College inaugurates 258 participants of Senior Course 46

A total of 258 middle level military officers has commenced an 11-month operation leadership course at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, Kaduna State. The Senior Course 46 participants include 147 from the Nigeria Army; Navy 59; Air Force 41; 10 international students and one from the Defence Intelligence Agency. The Commandant AFCSC, AVM Hassan Alhaji said that the course was very significant to the progression of the participants in their military careers. According to him, the objective of the course is to prepare the participants for increasing responsibilities both in command and staff appointments. “This is in the light of varying security challenges that are besetting our countries, which makes it imperative for you to improve your capacity as middle level commanders to better ensure peace and security in your respective domains. “Consequently, it is our fervent desire that you become better trained officers at the end of this course,” Alhaji said. The Commandant expressed the hope that at the end of the course, “we would have sufficiently built your capacity with the appropriate skill sets to operate as Grade 2 staff officers. “And equally prepare you to function effectively at the operational level of the services of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other nations present today”. He advised them to be very adaptive, hardworking and ready to lay a solid foundation in their careers as the course will prepare them for the burden of leadership required of operational level officers. “Bear in mind that for you to succeed on the course, you will need to have a good sense of time management, drive for knowledge, punctuality, espri-de-corps, self-confidence and above all, personal discipline. “In line with the principles of Mission Command, you will be given the opportunity to exercise ingenuity, initiative, responsibility and leadership in all College activities,” he said. He assured that the college “will be fair and objective in assessing them”, but said they must be diligent and hard working to pass through the course. “The choice, therefore, is yours to make and I hope it will be the right one. “You are not here to play and fail. And you will fail if you play. You are here to win. “It is my wish to see all of you win, graduate and be awarded the qualification “Pass Staff Course” at the end your stay here,” Alhaji said. A former Commandant of AFCSC, AVM Ebenezer Alade (rtd),  delivered the inaugural lecture on “Making of an Effective Command and Staff Officers for Contemporary Operating Environment”

NBTE introduces online top-up programs for HND holders

*Task FG to sign Bill removing HND-BSc Dichotomy in Public Service The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) has launched an innovative online top-up program for Higher National Diploma (HND) holders, along with a dedicated portal to streamline the mobilization process for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program. In an official statement released in Abuja on Monday, Mrs. Fatima Abubakar, the Head of the NBTE Media Unit, disclosed these initiatives. Abubakar detailed that one of the portals is specifically designed for HND holders seeking to attain a Bachelor’s Degree through a one-year online top-up program facilitated by accredited foreign universities. This initiative aims to simplify the progression of HND holders toward higher academic degrees. She highlighted the historical challenges faced by HND holders when pursuing further education, including the inability to obtain NUC approval for a two-year Master of Technology program or the necessity to undertake a one-year Postgraduate Diploma (PGD) before enrolling in a Master’s program. This new pathway aims to address these challenges by providing a streamlined and recognized progression opportunity. The online top-up program can be accessed at https://topup.nbte.gov.ng. Addressing another concern, Abubakar mentioned the difficulties encountered by many polytechnic HND graduates during the mobilization for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) due to admission into non-accredited programs. To address this issue, NBTE has introduced an HND admission portal accessible to all polytechnics. The portal will exclusively display accredited programs, granting NYSC the ability to view admitted candidates eligible for mobilization. This measure is expected to curb the admission of students into unaccredited programs and ensure adherence to quality assurance guidelines. The statement further underscored NBTE’s appeal to the President to sign the bill aimed at removing the HND-BSc Dichotomy in the Public Service, which was passed by the previous National Assembly. This legislation seeks to eradicate unjust and unwarranted discrimination against graduates of the polytechnic system. Abubakar emphasized the importance of providing legal backing to enhance the standing of HND holders, as they hold significant potential for driving Nigeria’s industrialization and contributing essential skills for the nation’s infrastructure development.