Strategic Management and Policy Studies Course

The Strategic Management and Policy Studies Course (SMPSC) is designed to provide higher-level professional education for senior officers of the Nigerian Army, other sister Services, para-military agencies and Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). This is aimed at keeping pace with the contemporary security challenges confronting Nigeria and the changing nature of the threats which have made it imperative for senior military officers and their counterparts from MDAs to acquire requisite skills and knowledge to appreciate and confront the 21 Century security challenges. The course is designed to serve those in service as well as any transiting to retirement. On successful completion of the SMPSC, participants would be awarded Master’s Degree in SMPS by the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA).

• To expose participants to a deeper appreciation of the relationship between public policy and public problems.
• To familiarize participants with the environment of public policy, and the relationship between public policy, public administration and national interest.
• To introduce participants to contemporary principles of self and people management, change management and conflict resolution.
• To enhance strategic leadership, critical thinking and effective communication skills.
• To expose participants to the concept of entrepreneurship, nature of business environment and the required skills for
  effective start-ups.
• To intimate participants with government interventions in development.

• To stimulate participants’ capacity in policy analysis, argumentation and evaluation.
• To consolidate participants’ capacity in constructive policy engagement in all environments they find terms of policy framework for promoting entrepreneurship development.
• To build participants’ capacity for developing business plan that is executable and bankable, right from opportunity finding to idea generation, market validation and risk management.
• To imbue participants with the skills required for wealth creation, growth and sustainability.
• To equip participants with the ability to decipher the nexus between theory and practice in policy and management.

• Strategy Formation and
  Execution
• Public Policy Process
• Conflict Management
• Communication Strategy /
  Information Security
• Critical Thinking and Emotional
  Intelligence
• Research Methodology
• Psychology
• Entrepreneurship
• Emerging Issues

The SMPSC was comprehensively designed to meet the needs of the NA, Sister Services and other course participants from other agencies both in service and post-service life. To achieve this, the Course modules are delivered by seasoned resource persons drawn from NARC, NDA, tertiary institutions, research centres and professional consultancy firms. Thus, the Course content and delivery have met the Benchmarks of Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) of National University Commission and the requirements of other professional regulatory institutions.

The SMPSC is delivered through a combination of lectures, case studies, simulations, group exercises, research project, outdoor exercises and study tours within and outside Nigeria.

The target audience are senior officers (Colonels and above and  equivalents) of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, para-military agencies including DSS, NCS, NIS, FRSC, NPS, NSCDC as well as senior staff of MDA.

The course duration is 11 months
(September – July every year).