Nigeria has been elected to host the 3rd Edition of the Forum of African Defence and War Colleges’ Commandants (FADWCC) in 2026.
National Defence College Nigeria spokesperson, Navy Captain Mohammed Tukur, revealed on Sunday that the hosting right was announced by the Director of the Royal College of Higher Military Studies (CREMS), Colonel Major Lahcen El-Hajjami, at the recently concluded 2nd Edition of the forum in Kenitra, Morocco.
Navy Captain Tukur said the announcement was a sequel to a unanimous vote by member-countries in attendance.
According to him, with the hosting right, Nigeria becomes the second and first Anglophone country to host the Forum.
He said, “The FADWCC was conceptualised in 2024 to forge partnerships among the defence and war colleges aimed at proffering solutions to common problems facing African nations in addition to enhancing collaborations in higher professional military education.
“The leader of Nigeria’s delegation and Commandant of NDC Nigeria, Rear Admiral Olumuyiwa Morakinyo Olotu, accepted the hosting right on behalf of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and received the symbolic hosting flag from his Moroccan counterpart.”
The statement said the 2025 FADWCC, with the theme “Artificial Intelligence and Defence”, was attended by Commandants of Defence and War Colleges from 14 African nations. They include Angola, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire and Ethiopia. Others are Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, and Zambia.
The statement added: “The attendance this year is a remarkable increase from 8 in the maiden edition in 2024. It is expected that the 3rd Edition in Abuja in 2026 would witness attendance by more commandants of defence and war colleges across Africa.
“The Nigerian delegation also had the commandants of the Army, Navy and Air Force War Colleges and their spouses as well as some academic staff members from the four colleges.”
Reacting to the hosting right, NDC Commandant, Rear Admiral Olotum expressed Nigeria’s readiness to host a befitting Forum in Abuja come 2026, thanking his colleagues for the confidence reposed in Nigeria, promising to surpass the high standard set by Morocco.
