Vice-President Kashim Shettima, on Thursday, charged the graduating cadets of the Nigerian Defence Academy to uphold ethics, excellence, and patriotism in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities.

Mr Shettima gave the charge at the 35th convocation ceremony of the NDA in honour of the cadets of the 72 Regular Course, postgraduate students, and honorary degree awardees in Kaduna.

The vice-president was represented by the deputy chief of staff to the president, Ibrahim Hadeja. Mr Shettima highlighted the importance of equality in education as a foundation for national growth, peace, and security.

He commended the academy for its unwavering commitment to excellence in both military and academic training, stressing that education must remain a tool for unity, discipline, and innovation.

Mr Shettima also mentioned some of the achievements of the President Bola Tinubu administration, stating that many of Nigeria’s security and socio-economic challenges were rooted in educational inequalities.

He explained that the government was addressing this through initiatives such as the National Education Loans Fund, which provides students in public Universities with zero-interest loans to support their higher education.

According to him, the programme had already increased access to education for many Nigerian youths who previously faced financial barriers.

Mr Shettima further urged the cadets and postgraduate students to demonstrate the value of their training as they step into larger responsibilities in society.

He said they should go out there and imbibe the ethics of the character building and academic excellence that they had endured in the course of this.

(NAN)