The Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has inaugurated a 15-member Governing Council for the National Defence University (NDU), Ghana, to oversee the institution’s governance, academic development and transition into a fully operational university.
The Council, chaired by Professor John Owusu Gyapong, is expected to provide strategic direction for the University and supervise the integration of existing Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) educational institutions under a unified academic structure.
Mr Iddrisu inaugurated the Council in Accra on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, charging members to establish strong governance systems and uphold academic excellence, transparency and professionalism.
He said the Council’s responsibilities would include developing a comprehensive strategic plan, safeguarding academic standards and ensuring a smooth transition of the University’s constituent institutions.
The Education Minister emphasised that the Council must preserve the culture of merit and professionalism associated with the Ghana Armed Forces while positioning the University as a centre of excellence in defence and strategic studies.
“The measure of this Council will not be the number of meetings, reports, or the documents it approves. It will be seen in the standards it establishes, the progress it enables, and the institution it leaves behind,” he said.
Mr Iddrisu also urged members to prioritise the development of programmes that would strengthen strategic leadership, military-civilian relations and national security policy formulation.
He noted that the University was expected to contribute to Ghana’s democratic development by promoting research, professional military education and cooperation between the military and civilian sectors.
Speaking on behalf of the Council, its Chairman, Prof. Owusu Gyapong, expressed appreciation to the President for the appointment and pledged to work with members to establish a credible and respected institution.
“Our purpose is to strengthen what is already in existence and create opportunities that no single institution could realise on its own,” he said.
He stressed that the Council would focus on developing an institution whose graduates possess the knowledge, ethical judgement and strategic thinking required to address complex security challenges.
“The measure of our success will not lie solely in the establishment of new structures. It will be found in the quality of our graduates, the relevance of our research, the credibility of our qualifications and the contributions this university makes to the security and well-being of our nation,” Prof. Owusu Gyapong added.
The National Defence University was established under the National Defence University-Ghana Act, 2026 (Act 1176), following Parliament’s passage of the enabling legislation on August 17, 2026, and presidential assent on August 26, 2026.
The University brings together six accredited colleges and institutions, including the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, National College of Defence Studies, Ghana Military Academy, Training and Doctrine Command, and the Ghana Armed Forces College of Medicine and School of Anaesthesia.
The NDU is temporarily operating from the Command Officers’ Mess at Burma Camp in Accra, pending completion of its main campus at Whistler Barracks in Teshie.
The inauguration of the Governing Council marks a step towards establishing the University’s administrative structures and coordinating its academic and institutional development.
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