Directorate of Policy Plans and Research
Director Of Policy Plans and Research
Major General Wisdom Benjamin Etuk was born in Calabar, Cross Rivers State and hails from Etinan, Akwa Ibom State. The senior officer assumed duty on the 7 October 2025. He was admitted into the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of the 42nd Regular Combatant Course and was commissioned 2Lt into the Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport in September 1995. The senior officer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the Nigerian Defence Academy, a Master’s degree in Transport Planning and Management from the University of Lagos, a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan as well as PhD in Public Governance and Leadership from University of Abuja. Similarly, He has attended relevant military courses at different stages of his career. Some of these include the Junior and Senior Staff Courses both at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji, Logistics Management Course at Nigerian Army College of Logistics and Management and the Higher Defence Management Course at the prestigious National Defence College Abuja. He has held several command, staff and instructional appointments commensurate with his rank and experience, prominent amongst which are; Staff Officer Grade II Data at AHQ Department of Military Secretary, Assistant Director Movement at AHQ Department of Army Logistics as well as Chief of Staff HQ Nigerian Army Corps of Supply and Transport and the Commander 77 Supply and Transport Brigade in Maiduguri. He was a Directing Staff at the National Defence College after which he was posted as the maiden Acting Director of Supply and Transport Services, AHQ Department of Army Logistics and later the Acting Director of Movement in the same Department. He commanded the 70 Command Supply and Transport Command Apapa before his appointment as the Commandant of the Nigerian Army College of Logistics and Management. He was later Director of Administration for a brief period at the Defence Space Administration before the amendment of his appointment to the Director of Policy Plan and Research at same Administration. Maj Gen Etuk has participated in several operations both within and outside the country. Some of the operations include the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone, African Union Mission in Sudan, African Union/United Nations Hybrid Operations in Darfur, United Nations Mission in Sudan and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan as well as OP LAFIYA DOLE. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Economists of Nigeria, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport International, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Mentoring and Coaching Nigeria as well as a Fellow Nigerian Institute of Management. He is a well-decorated gentleman officer with several awards and decorations to his credit. He has the distinguished service star, passed staff course, passed logistics and staff course dagger, fellow of the defence college dagger, command and field command medals. Others are training support medal, field support medal and several operational medals amongst others. Maj Gen WB Etuk is happily married and the union is blessed with children. His hobbies are reading, admiring nature and analyzing contemporary issues.
Chronicle of Directors
About the Directorate
The Directorate of Policy, Planning and Research (DPPR) is tasked with the responsibilities of policy formulation, strategic planning, policy implementation and policy review in the DSA. It is also in charge of coordinating research activities into new fields, in addition to improving, modifying and adapting existing products and services to suit AFN and other security agencies' requirements.
The purpose of this brief is to highlight the major activities of DPPR since its inception.
The brief covers the Directorate's organisation, roles, major achievements as well as its activities.
Roles
a. Formulates, implements and review policies as it affects the DSA.
b. Plans and coordinates the activities of the Administration.
c. Carry out research on defence space systems such as satellite payloads, platforms, launch vehicles, ground systems and space environment.
d. Make relevant inputs on defence requirements in national space projects.
e. Design of satellite and other space systems.
f. Assembly Integration and Testing (AIT) of space systems.
g. Collaborate with industries, academia,
government and private research organizations.
h. Organize training workshops on SST and its defence applications.
i. Carry out enlightenment on space and other related issues for the AFN and other security agencies.
j. Coordinate periodic in-house training of DSA personnel.
k. Custodian of research laboratories in the DSA
l. Custodian of research laboratories in the DSA
m. Publish research findings in local and international journals.
n. Identify national and international research ventures that could be relevant to DSA specific tasks.
o. Identify and collaborate with Nigerian SST researchers in diaspora.
p. Obtain feedback from users of DSA product and services for further improvement.
q. Source for available national and international research grants on behalf of the DSA.
r. Perform other duties as may be assigned by the CDSA.
Achievements
a. Production of the Forecast of Events.
The DPPR compiled, reorganised and produced the DSA 2017, 2018, and 2019 Forecast of Events and distributed them internally and to other AFN establishments/institutions.
b. Capacity Building/Trainings.
The DPPR has been severally directed by the
CDSA to nominate staff for both local and foreign trainings. Such trainings include International Space University Conferenal Use of social Media, Emotional Intelligence, Open Source Intelligence and Cyber drill exercise among others.
c. Review of DSA Policy and DSA Strategic Plan. Due to several changes that emerged which called for the review of the aforementioned documents,
The DPPR chaired the review of DSA Policy Framework and DSA Strategic Plan.
Consequently, the 2 documents have been reviewed, produced and distributed to DSA Directorates and other AFN establishments.
d. Coordination of DSA Visits to Other Organisations.
The DPPR coordinated visits to several organisations and institutions including the visits to Operation LAFIYA DOLE Joint Intelligence Fusion Centre, Airforce Institute of Technology (AFIT) Kaduna, Proforce Nigeria Limited and African Centre for Space Science and Technology Education-English Ondo.
Others include Nigerian Defence Academy
(NDA) Kaduna, Polystyrene Industry Ltd Abuja, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion and 21st Century Technologies Limited Lekki among others.
e. Coordination of DSA Conferences,
formulating, implementing, reviewing policies
Presentations and Visits. Since inception, DPPR has anchored several presentations, conferences and visits to DSA. Some of the presentations made were by UAN Global Services, National Radio and Telecommunications Cooperation, Piqure Solutions Ltd, Supersonic Technologies Ltd. Some of the visits to DSA include the visit by delegates from the Department of Defence Standard and Evaluation DHO, Nigerian Army War College, Nigerian Institute of Space Engineers and cadets of NDA amongst others.
f. Collaborative Efforts and Memorandum of Understanding. The DSA has entered into Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with some organisations. The DPPR has been interfacing between the DSA and the external organisations. These organisations included the Airbus Company of France, National Research Institute for Chemical Technology, Barnard West Africa Ltd, AFIT and
Air Force Research and Development. In the same vein, DPPR facilitated the conduct of a visit to the NDA which was aimed at introducing the Administration and the benefits of SST to the cadets.
