The National Metallurgical Development Centre (NMDC) on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian Defence Academy to enhance educational training at the NDA.

The NMDC said the signing of the MoU is to complement NDA’s efforts in training officer cadets in engineering, physical sciences, among others.

Prof. Linus Asuquo, Director General/Chief Executive NMDC disclosed this during the event in Jos, the Plateau State Capital.

Asuquo said the NMDC was fully equipped to support the training of officers.

“As you must have seen during the facility tour, NMDC is well equipped to compliment your efforts in the educational training of your officer cadets in engineering and physical sciences, especially in Metallurgy, Minerals Technology, Analytical Services and Environmental Studies among others.

According to him, “NMDC had been training students of institutions of higher learning in the country in various fields of technology under the Federal Government’s Industrial Training Fund (ITF) programme.

“The Centre also serves as a laboratory to some Universities and Polytechnics that do not have established laboratory infrastructure to qualify them for accreditation by the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC) or the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) as the case may be.

The DG listed some of the services rendered by the Centre to include; construction industry, oil and gas industry, manufacturing industry, mineral sector, water resources, defence industry and consultancy.

He further said “NMDC has made significant contributions to the Nigerian economy through the provision of research and development services in the mineral and metallurgical sectors of the nation.

“Its contributions range from the conduct of routine tests and material identification services to major research and development undertakings.

He added that one of the recent MoU the Centre signed in December, with Defence Industries Corporation (DICON), Kaduna; was for the production of Lead metal and research in alloy development for armaments manufacturing.

Asuquo maintained that the NMDC has a strategic role to play not only in the development of the nation’s mineral resources but its human resources as well.

Adding that the Commandant’s bold move in signing the MoU between the Centre and NDA is a step in the right direction.

“This will strengthen and deepen the relationship already existing between our organisations and will lead to an improvement in the quality and calibre of the Nigerian Armed Forces personnel capable of confronting the numerous security challenges facing the country”, he stressed.

In his address, the Commandant Nigerian Defence Academy, Major General Jamil Sarham, said the partnership will tremendously benefit the nation and enhance its “technical and solid mineral development, as well as socio-economic enhancement”.

The Commandant who was represented by the Deputy Commandant, Air Vice Marshal I. T. Ali, said with the abundant solid minerals in the nation, there was no need to rely solely on petroleum which is already gradually fizzling out.

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