NDA rejects plan for automatic admission for military school graduates

The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) is worried about a new proposal that would give automatic admission to graduates of military secondary schools. They believe this could weaken the merit-based selection and go against the rules for admissions to Nigeria's top military training school.

The NDA shared their concerns on Tuesday during a public hearing on defence bills organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Defence at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja.

During this hearing, different groups looked at four defence bills. One of the bills is about changing the Nigerian Defence Academy Act to allow automatic admission for successful graduates of military secondary schools into the academy.

This bill is called "A Bill for an Act to Amend the Nigerian Defence Academy Act, 2024 and for Related Matters (HB.1709)."

Taiye Ahmed, the NDA's director of Military Training, spoke to lawmakers. He said while the plan aims to help graduates of military schools, it could lead to legal and constitutional problems if passed.

He explained that the amendment would change Section 8(2) of the Second Schedule to the NDA Act. It would require the NDA Board to set aside admission spots for graduates of military secondary schools like the Nigerian Military School in Zaria, the Air Force Military School, the Air Force Girls Military School, and the Nigerian Navy Military School.

Ahmed added that the proposal would also define terms. It would define "The Board" as the Board of the Nigerian Defence Academy, "Applicant" as those applying to the NDA, and "Nigerian Military Schools" as schools providing full military and academic training, including those mentioned earlier.

Ahmed stated that the NDA does not believe the proposal serves the national interest. He warned that making admission automatic for one group could weaken the principle that ensures representation from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

"The NDA operates on this principle to ensure national unity and equal representation across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory FCT," he said.

The military training school also questioned the fairness of the proposal. They noted it might deny chances to other qualified Nigerians who did not attend military secondary schools.

Ahmed said this could be seen as unfair since it would put civilian applicants at a disadvantage, no matter their academic or physical qualifications. He highlighted that admission to the NDA is currently based on competition where all eligible Nigerians have the same chances.

Right now, candidates are evaluated on their academic performance, which includes scores from the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). They also undergo physical fitness tests, medical exams, and psychological evaluations.

He mentioned that this method helps the academy to select the best candidates, regardless of the schools they attended. He shared that records from past admissions showed civilian candidates often did better than some military school graduates.

For this reason, he argued that automatic admission for military school graduates could keep out more qualified candidates who couldn't attend those schools.

Ahmed also pointed out that graduates of military secondary schools still have ways to build careers in the Armed Forces. Many, especially from the Nigerian Military School, can join the military directly after secondary school and later advance through various training programs sponsored by the Armed Forces.

He added that these individuals can earn commissions as officers through programs like the Short Service Commission, Direct Short Service Commission, or Executive Commission.

The NDA official insisted that these current paths already give military school graduates enough opportunities without changing the academy’s merit-based admission process.

He urged lawmakers to keep the existing system, saying the academy’s admission process has always been fair and competitive.

"The NDA is of the opinion that the current admission process into the NDA should be maintained," he said.

Aside from the NDA amendment bill, the House committee also heard proposals for setting up a Joint Doctrine and Warfare Centre, creating an Armed Forces Medical College in Abuja, and giving degree-awarding status to the National Defence College of Nigeria.

At the end of the hearing, Babajimi Benson, the chairman of the House Committee on Defence, thanked everyone for their input. He said it was a valuable part of the legislative process and promised that the committee would consider all submissions before making recommendations on the bills.