Participants of course 24 of the Nigerian National Defence College (NDC) have called on the ECOWAS Commission to strengthen its role in the promotion of economic integration, peace, security and social justice in the region.
They made the call when they paid a study visit to the ECOWAS Commission Headquarters on Wednesday, 9th September, 2015.
The study visit which is an annual event, allows participants to familiarize themselves with the workings of the regional body, as part of their coursework in the Defence College.
The 129 member delegation was led by the Coordinator of the course, Air-Commodore Ekeh Adedokun. Its team leader, Brigadier-General Godwin Emelo, informed the gathering that the delegation was made up of men and women from military and civil establishments from Nigeria, Ghana, Niger, Zambia, Benin Republic and Sierra-Leone. This course 24 is unique as it is the first time female officers both civilian and armed forces personnel are participating.
Welcoming the participants, the representative of the ECOWAS Commission President and Acting Director of Communication, Mr. Haruna Warkani, gave a historical antecedent leading to the formation of the ECOWAS Community and its initial mandate on economic integration. He informed participants that the core mandate of the regional body can only be realized in an atmosphere of peace, security and social integration, hence the necessity to continuously expand and enrich the role that is being played by ECOWAS within the region.
Warkani said ECOWAS has become a shining example among regional economic communities as it is now leading in terms of free movement of goods and persons as well as residency among its more than 300 million citizens. Aside this great feat of abolishing of visas among member states, the Commission is also working to ensure single currency for the entire regional block very soon.
He reminded members of the role played by ECOWAS in Liberia, Sierra-Leon, Guinea, Mali and other member states that were in need of intervention as well as its leading role in the fight against the Ebola epidemic. ‘The organization will continue to come to the rescue of its members whenever the situation demands’, he added.
Highlights of the visit included a question and answer session as well as the presentation of a plaque and research documents from the Defence College and the ECOWAS Commission respectively. The visit to ECOWAS Commission headquarters by the participants of National Defence College is one of the major activities of the delegation leading to successful completion of their course with the College.
The National Defence Course is an 11 months strategic level training programme conducted at the National Defence College (NDC) Abuja, Nigeria. The Course is aimed at developing the expertise and skills of senior military/para-military officers and their civilian counterparts for higher responsibilities at operational and strategic levels. It is therefore specifically targeted at military officers of the rank of colonel and its equivalent in the other Services of the Nigerian and Foreign armed forces.

The NDC was established in 1992 as the highest military institution in Nigeria for the training of selected senior military officers, the Nigeria Police and civil servants from strategic Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government for higher responsibilities. It also trains officers from friendly countries