The Centre for Strategic Research and Studies (CSRS) was established in 1996 to reinforce the academic work of the National Defence College as well as expand its functional scope, especially in training and research. Accordingly, the mission of the Centre is to engage in rigorous research and training in the areas of international security, defence and peace support operations. The Centre also serves as the ECOWAS Centre of Excellence for strategic level PSO training.

The background to the Centre for Strategic Research and Studies (CSRS) dates back to 1996 when the authority of the National War College (now National Defence College) took a decisive step to address the issues of war and violent conflicts that have bedevilled African countries. This led to the establishment of the Centre for Peace Research and Conflict Resolution (CPRCR) on 17 October 1996. The premise upon which the Centre was founded is that though peace is ever the goal of war, peace is a goal about which the world knows and understands so little. Indeed, despite the progress made in the evolution or development of peace and conflict research as a viable area of study, it was noted at the time that there were more works on strategy tied to war than those to peace. The Centre was therefore founded on the basis that the achievement of sustainable and comprehensive peace requires studying and understanding the causes of violent conflicts and how best to monitor and prevent them, or when they come inevitably, to resolve them.