The Director-General of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Professor Ahmed Abdulai Jinapor, has pledged robust policy and technical support to the newly chartered National Defence University (NDU), positioning it as a key institution in addressing Ghana’s security and discipline challenges through education and strategic training.
The assurance came during a high-level engagement in Accra with the Chief of Defence Staff, Major General William Agyapong, and his delegation, who visited the GTEC head to strengthen institutional ties and formalize the recent presidential charter granted to the Ghana Armed Forces to establish the NDU.
Describing the NDU as a vital national asset—not merely a military institution—Prof. Jinapor emphasized that all academic and training programmes within Ghana’s security architecture should now be routed through the NDU. He reinforced GTEC’s commitment to ensuring the university receives the same level of support as any public tertiary institution.
While acknowledging that the current cycle of disbursements for the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) had already been completed, Prof. Jinapor expressed willingness to explore budgetary accommodations to ensure the university’s foundational needs are met. “If this institution stands the test of time, I strongly believe it can provide meaningful solutions to national issues, including illegal mining and public discipline,” he stated.
Prof. Jinapor also highlighted the potential of the NDU in supporting government initiatives such as the proposed mandatory military training for national service personnel, stressing the need for the university to remain focused on its core mandate.
On his part, Major General Agyapong expressed gratitude to GTEC for its instrumental role in the university’s chartering process and announced the appointment of Air Vice Marshall Felix Adom Asante as Acting President of the University. He urged the Commission to accelerate structural alignment so that existing military training institutions can operate as colleges under the NDU umbrella.
The NDU was among 14 private tertiary institutions granted a presidential charter on December 19, 2024. The charter consolidated various military institutions—including the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, and the Ghana Military Academy—under the new university structure.
Both parties affirmed their commitment to deepening collaboration to ensure that the NDU not only strengthens Ghana’s defence education but also contributes meaningfully to national development through research, discipline, and public service training.
