The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) has raised concerns about a legislative proposal to guarantee admission for graduates of military secondary schools, arguing that the move could undermine merit-based selection and conflict with the constitutional principles governing admissions to the country’s premier military training institution.
The concerns were presented on Tuesday during the second day of a two-day public hearing on defence-related bills organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Defence at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
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At the hearing, stakeholders examined four defence bills, including a proposed amendment to the Nigerian Defence Academy Act that seeks to grant automatic admission to successful graduates of military secondary schools into the academy.
The bill is titled, “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Nigerian Defence Academy Act, 2024 and for Related Matters (HB.1709).”
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Representing the NDA, the director of Military Training, Taiye Ahmed, told lawmakers that while the proposal was intended to create a pathway for graduates of military schools, its current provisions could create unintended legal and constitutional complications.
According to him, the amendment seeks to alter Section 8(2) of the Second Schedule to the NDA Act by requiring the NDA Board to reserve admission opportunities for graduates of military secondary schools, including the Nigerian Military School, Zaria, the Air Force Military School, the Air Force Girls Military School and the Nigerian Navy Military School.
He further explained that the proposal also seeks to introduce an interpretation section defining, “The Board” as the Board of the Nigerian Defence Academy, “Applicant” as candidates applying to the NDA, and “Nigerian Military Schools” as military schools that provide full military and academic training, including the Nigerian Military School, Zaria; Air Force Military School; Air Force Girls Military School; and the Nigerian Navy Military School.
Mr Ahmed said the academy was not persuaded that the proposal serves the broader national interest.
He warned that making admission automatic for a particular category of applicants could weaken the federal character principle that currently guides recruitment into the academy.
“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.
Beyond constitutional concerns, the military training institution also questioned the fairness of the proposal, noting that it could deny opportunities to other qualified Nigerians who did not attend military secondary schools.
Mr Ahmed said such a provision could be interpreted as discriminatory because it would place civilian applicants at a disadvantage regardless of their academic or physical qualifications.
He stressed that admission into the NDA is currently determined through a competitive process that allows every eligible Nigerian to participate under the same conditions.
Under the existing system, candidates are assessed using a combination of academic performance, including Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) scores, as well as physical fitness, medical examinations and psychological evaluations.
According to him, this approach enables the academy to recruit the most capable candidates irrespective of the schools they attended.
He disclosed that records from previous admission exercises showed that civilian candidates frequently outperformed some military school graduates during the selection process.
For that reason, he argued that granting automatic admission to military school graduates could exclude more deserving candidates who had no opportunity to attend such institutions.
Mr Ahmed further noted that graduates of military secondary schools are not without opportunities to build careers within the Armed Forces.
He explained that many of them, particularly graduates of the Nigerian Military School, can enlist directly into military service after secondary education and later advance through various professional and educational programmes sponsored by the Armed Forces.
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He added that such personnel could subsequently obtain commissions as officers through channels such as the Short Service Commission, the Direct Short Service Commission, or the Executive Commission programmes.
The NDA official maintained that these existing pathways already provide adequate opportunities for military school graduates without altering the academy’s merit-based admission framework.
He,therefore,urged lawmakers to retain the current system, insisting that the academy’s admissions process has consistently ensured fairness and competitiveness.
“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 received submissions on proposed legislation seeking to establish a Joint Doctrine and Warfare Centre, create an Armed Forces Medical College in Abuja and grant degree-awarding status to the National Defence College of Nigeria.
Speaking at the conclusion of the hearing, Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos), praised stakeholders for their contributions, describing the engagement as an important part of the legislative process.
He said the committee would carefully consider all submissions before making recommendations on the bills.
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