On Friday, 6 February 2025, the Pioneer Commandant of the Naval War College Nigeria (NWCN), Rear Admiral Makanju Mackson Kadiri (Retired) delivers lecture titled ‘Concepts and Elements of National Power’ to the participants of Naval Warfare Course (NWC) 10 of the NWCN. The purpose of the lecture was to acquaint the participants of NWC 10 with the concepts and elements of national power.
During the lecture, the seasoned guest lecturer stated that the elements of national power are categorized into permanent and temporary elements, tangible and intangible, as well as national and social determinants. He also underscored the implications of national power for operational level planning and execution noting that the elements of national power constitute the resources (means) for the attainment of national objectives and goals (end). The seasoned guest lecturer thereafter examined the relationship between national power and balance of power noting that nations involved in balance of power seeks to maximize their power through conscious efforts and believes they are at risk when the balance is upset. Rear Admiral Makanju Kadiri (Retired) discussed the methods of achieving balance of power, the methods of exercising national power, as well as the limitations of national power.
The Commandant NWCN, Rear Admiral Mohammed Adamu Muye appreciated the seasoned guest lecturer for the insightful lecture and for sparing time from his busy schedule to deliver the lecture. He thereafter encouraged the participants to note the lessons drawn from the lecture for future applications as operational-level commanders.
