By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
THE Nigerian Navy has commissioned a block of four fully furnished classrooms at Orhueren Central School in Ozalla Community, Owan West Local Government Area of Edo State.
The project, inaugurated on Tuesday, forms part of the Nigerian Navy’s ongoing Chief of Naval Staff Special Intervention Quick Impact Project, aimed at strengthening civil–military relations and supporting community development.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, represented by the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Nigerian Navy Logistics Command, Oghara, Delta State, Rear Admiral Abiodun Alade, said the initiative underscored the Navy’s commitment to civil–military cooperation.
According to the CNS, the special intervention scheme was launched in 2024 to reinvigorate the Nigerian Navy’s civil–military cooperation mandate and to complement the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Globally, civil–military cooperation encompasses activities and interactions between the military and civil society towards the achievement of shared goals.
“These projects provide an avenue for the Nigerian Navy to honour its distinguished senior officers and demonstrate that, beyond safeguarding lives and property, the Navy remains committed to serving Nigerians through other means,” he said.
Vice Admiral Ogalla described the Ozalla project, facilitated by Rear Admiral James Okosun, an indigene of the community, as a significant milestone in the annals of Nigerian Navy civil–military relations.
He noted that the construction of the classroom block aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision and aptly reflected the objectives of the Special Intervention Quick Impact Project.
The naval chief commended Rear Admiral Okosun for siting the project in his home community and expressed confidence that the gesture would leave a lasting impact.
He urged the beneficiaries to make effective use of the facilities, adding that the project would enhance both the quality of life and educational standards in the area.
He also appealed to residents of Ozalla Community and Edo State at large to continue supporting the Nigerian Navy, the Armed Forces and other security agencies in the collective effort to address security challenges.
Earlier, Rear Admiral Okosun explained that the project was conceived as a means of ensuring that today’s youth would remember the Nigerian Navy positively in the future.
He said education was identified as a critical area of intervention after plans to support a secondary school in the area were adjusted due to an existing project.
“The palace subsequently directed us to this primary school, and that informed our decision,” he said, adding that the initiative complemented the military’s kinetic efforts.
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