NEC Hosts Zambian Defence Students on Educational Tour

The National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) played host to faculty members and student officers from the Zambia Defence Services Command and Staff College on October 1, 2025. Led by Col John Buzi Nkonjera, the delegation was received by Maj Gen (Rtd) Innocent Oula, Deputy Managing Director of NEC, on behalf of Lt Gen James Mugira, the Managing Director.

Maj Gen Oula welcomed the students to Uganda, expressing gratitude for their choice of Uganda as a study tour destination. He highlighted NEC’s role as the commercial arm of the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs/Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF).

The students’ educational tour is centered on the theme “Understanding regional cooperation through responsive military as a catalyst for self-reliance as well as political, economic and social development.” Col Nkonjera noted that the college regularly conducts regional education tours, and on this occasion, the students were divided into seven groups, with each group visiting a different country, including Egypt, Ghana, Mauritius, Morocco, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.

During the visit, Col James Okiring presented a paper on the significance of defence industries in Uganda’s socio-economic development, highlighting the impact of such industries on the country’s growth. This exchange underscores the strong ties between Uganda and Zambia and the shared commitment to enhancing regional cooperation and defence capabilities.