Nigerian Colonel Emerges Best Student in US War College, Wins 6 Awards

A Nigerian Army officer, Col. Charles Nengite, at the weekend, emerged top of his class at the US War College (USAWC) beating 380 other postgraduate students in the process.

According to a post on the War College’s website on Monday, Nengite’s performance was the best
by any foreigner in 38 years in the college.

Nengite was said to have won 6 awards in all, Premium Times reports.

In one letter conveying his choice for the awards, the Commandant of the college, Maj.-Gen. William Rapp, described Nengite’s performance as “arguably one of the best in the international fellows programmes at the USAWC”.

Mr. Rapp said Nigeria should be proud of Nengite and his compatriot in the Masters of Strategic Studies class, Col. Timothy Shipi.

He said, “Shipi performed brilliantly”.

The breakdown obtained from the school’s website indicates that at the graduation of the 2015 class, Col. Nengite bagged six awards for outstanding performance in different courses.

He earned the Distinguished Graduate award reserved for the top five fellows in his class of 381 and also the Commandant’s award for distinction in research.

 Nengite was also given the USAWC recognition award for innovation in SHARP – Sexual Harassment and Response Programme and articulated a seminal paper – “I am your friend campaign’’ – strategy under the SHARP.
Nengite also received the 2nd best speaker award in the speaking competition in the 2016 class made up of 302 Americans and 79 other nationals in 73 countries.

The Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, Gen. Mark Milley, who presided over the ceremony, told the audience that graduands of the college proceeded to occupy strategic leadership positions.